cambridge ielts essay band 9

Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

IELTS Advantage

IELTS Preparation Courses

IELTS Band 9 Essays

Do you know the difference between an IELTS Band 6 essay and an IELTS Band 9 essay for Writing Task 2?

Most IELTS students don’t, and this is what prevents them from getting the scores they need.

What does an IELTS Band 9 Essay look like?

An IELTS Band 9 Essay is one that shows the examiner that you are an expert user of English. The official IELTS scale describes an expert user in the following way:

“The test taker has fully operational command of the language. Their use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and shows complete understanding.”

In writing, this means you need to achieve a band 9 in each of the four IELTS marking criteria:

Task response

Coherence and cohesion

Lexical resource

Grammatical range and accuracy.

Here is a description of the marking criteria for an IELTS Band 9 Essay for Writing Task 2:


	fully addresses all parts of the task presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well supported ideas	uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention skillfully manages paragraphing	uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’	uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips

That’s quite complex, so I’ve simplified it for you:

Answer all parts of the question
Present relevant ideas
Fully explain these ideas
Support ideas with relevant, specific examples

Coherence and Cohesion

Organise your ideas in logical paragraphs
Include an introduction and conclusion
Use cohesive devices (also known as ‘linking words’) accurately
Don’t use too many or too few cohesive devices
Vary your cohesive devices by using synonyms
Try to vary your vocabulary, using accurate synonyms
Use less common topic-specific words that accurately convey meaning
Check your work for spelling and word formation mistakes
Use a variety of complex and simple sentences
Use a variety of appropriate structures
Check your writing for errors

If you want to know more about the marking criteria for other bands, you can download the full Writing Task 2 band descriptors here.

Watch my video below for the biggest differences between an IELTS Band 6 Essay and an IELTS Band 9 Essay.

Opinion essay

Band 9 essay sample .

It is argued that governments should levy a tariff on junk food because the number of health risks associated with consuming this kind of food is on the rise. This essay agrees that a higher rate of tax should be paid by fast-food companies. Firstly, alcohol and tobacco companies already pay higher taxes and secondly, higher taxes could raise prices and lower consumption.
Higher excise on liqueur and cigarettes has proven to be successful at curbing the harm caused by these substances. This revenue has been used to treat health problems associated with these products and has proven useful in advertising campaigns warning people about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco abuse. Tax from fast food could be used in the same way. The United Kingdom is a prime example, where money from smokers is used to treat lung cancer and heart disease.
Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower consumption. Fast food companies would pass on these taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices and this would lead to people not being able to afford junk food because it is too expensive. Junk food would soon become a luxury item and it would only be consumed occasionally, which would be less harmful to the general public’s health. For instance, the cost of organic food has proven prohibitively expensive for most people and that is why only a small percentage of the population buy it regularly.
In conclusion, junk food should be taxed at a higher rate because of the good precedent set by alcohol and tobacco and the fact that the increased cost should reduce the amount of fast-food people buy.

To see a lesson on the question above, click here .

Discussion essay

Band 9 essay sample .

There is an ever increasing use of technology, such as tablets and laptops, in the classroom. It is often argued that this is a positive development, whilst others disagree and think it will lead to adverse ramifications. This essay agrees that an increase in technology is beneficial to students and teachers.
It is clear that the internet has provided students with access to more information than ever before. Moreover, learners have the ability to research and learn about any subject at the touch of a button. It is therefore agreed that technology is a very worthwhile tool for education. Wikipedia is a prime example, where students can simply type in any keyword and gain access to in-depth knowledge quickly and easily.
However, many disagree and feel that technology deprives people of real human interaction. Human interaction teaches people valuable skills such as discourse, debate and empathy. Despite this, human interaction is still possible through the internet and this essay disagrees technology should be dismissed for this reason. For instance, Skype and Facebook make it possible for people to interact in ways that were never before possible.
In conclusion, while the benefits of technology, particularly the internet, allow students to tap in to limitless sources of information, some still feel that people should be wary of this new phenomenon and not allow it to curb face to face interaction. However, as long as we are careful to keep in mind the importance of human interaction in education, the educational benefits are clearly positive.

Problems and solutions essay

Climate change is among the principal dangers facing people this century, and ocean levels are increasing dramatically. This essay will first suggest that the biggest problems caused by this phenomenon are the loss of land and the flooding of homes and then argue that pollution reduction and building flood protection are the most viable solutions.
The foremost problems caused by climbing sea levels are that land is being lost and peoples’ residences are often flooded. As water levels rise, low-lying land is submerged and many countries become smaller. Furthermore, millions of people all over the world live in coastal areas, and if the sea rises by even a few feet, they are inundated with water and lose their property. The devastation brought about by this was clear for all to see during the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, in which millions of people were displaced.
Possible solutions to these problems would be to reduce the amount of pollution being created and to build flood barriers. If each person reduces their carbon footprint, the negative effects on the environment will be reduced and this will mean that the water level will stop rising. Furthermore, flood defences, such as dikes, dams, and floodgates, could be built along coasts and waterways, thereby stopping the water reaching populated areas. The Netherlands is one of the most populated areas in the world and also one of the most vulnerable to flooding and they have successfully employed various flood defence systems.
To conclude, stemming the rising tides caused by increasing global temperatures is one of the foremost challenges we face and it will ultimately lead to some countries losing landmass and many of the worlds’ cities being left underwater, but possible solutions could be to protect our environment and to utilise the flood prevention techniques already used by countries like Holland.

Advantages and disadvantages essay

There are two types of advantages and disadvantages questions:

Type 1 – Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
Type 2 – Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

For more information about these two types of questions, have a look at our page here .

Band 9 Essay Sample (Type 1)

Before embarking on college many young people are advised that a year working or travelling may be a good option. This essay will suggest that experience gained and money saved are the biggest advantages of this, but delaying careers and reducing motivation to study are the primary disadvantages.
The main advantages of a gap year are learning more about the world and earning money. For students who have just finished secondary school, working or travelling for a year will allow them to learn what life is like outside of the education system. Also, third level education is very expensive and a lot of students decide to work for 12 months and save up money before they begin their studies. The Times recently reported that the average student at a UK university requires over $12,000 per annum just to survive and many drop out because they cannot afford to stay.
Despite these advantages, students lose a year that could have been used to advance their future careers and they often get used to working or travelling and don’t want to return to a life of study. As job markets are very competitive, an extra year of experience can make a massive difference when applying for jobs, and those who took a gap year are at a disadvantage. Moreover, some decide to bypass university altogether and go straight into a job that is beneath their capabilities or may not offer the same prospects their future career might have done. For instance, a recent survey by the British Government found that 26% of students who take a gap-year never enter tertiary education.
In conclusion, taking a break from studies can be advantageous if it allows people to accumulate savings or learn more about the world. However, they should also be careful that it does not delay the start of their careers and lead to disillusionment with education.

Band 9 Essay Sample 1 (Type 2)

Some authorities think that it is more favourable for pupils to begin studying languages at primary school instead of secondary school. This essay will argue that the advantages of this outweigh the drawbacks. The essay will first demonstrate that the earlier someone learns an additional language the more likely they are to master it and that it brings added cognitive benefits, followed by an analysis of how the primary disadvantage, namely confusion with their native tongue, is not valid.
The main reason to start kids off with foreign languages early is that this increases the likelihood they will achieve fluency in adulthood. That is to say that they will have far more years to perfect their skills and it will seem perfectly normal to speak bilingually. For example, in countries such as Holland and Norway where English is taught from a very young age, more than 95% of adults speak it at an advanced level. Learning a second language also helps to improve overall cognitive abilities. In other words, it benefits the overall development of a child’s brain. A recent survey by Cambridge University found that children who studied a new language before the age of 5 were significantly more likely to score higher in Mathematics and Science.
Those opposed to this say that it causes the child to become confused between their mother tongue and the other language. However, there is actually no evidence to support this view and children from bilingual families do just as well in both languages. My own son was brought up speaking both Vietnamese and English and outperforms most of his classmates in both.
On balance, the fact that early foreign language learning leads to higher fluency and improved brain function clearly outweighs the flawed argument that it impairs uptake of native languages.

To see a lesson on both of the questions above, click here .

Double Question essay

Band 9 essay sample.

It is argued that the way a person looks has a crucial role in how successful they are in education, their job and even their personal life. This essay totally disagrees with that notion because most people achieve success through hard work and talent and it will also argue that thinking that outward appearance is a determining success factor is a very negative thing.
The most successful people in the modern world got there because of their drive, determination, intellect and raw talent. That is to say that it is what is inside that counts, not how one looks, and these inner traits are much more important than how attractive a person is. Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are some of the most successful people, in all aspects of their lives, but none of them reached the top because they were well groomed, know much about fashion or were born with striking good looks.
Believing that it is the outside, rather than the inside, that counts is a very dangerous idea because it often leads to a very vacuous and shallow person. That means that if you believe that beauty is the most important thing, you will often have nothing to show inside and also judge other people on their looks, rather than their talents. For example, my son is very handsome, but I discourage people from telling him that because I do not want him to grow up thinking that being good looking is more important than hard work or developing his intellect and morals.
In conclusion, how a person looks to others has no bearing on their success, in comparison to their character and to think otherwise is a huge drawback for a person because relying on your looks will only get a person so far in life, but never to the top.

What about Task 1? What does a Band 9 Task 1 answer look like for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training?

Just like for Task 2, a Band 9 Task 1 answer needs to show the examiner that the test taker is an expert user of English who can respond fully to all of the marking criteria.

For more information about how to write a Band 9 Task 1 answer, have a look at our page for Writing Task 1 .

If you’d like to see the marking criteria for IELTS Task 1, you can download a full description here .

For more about the difference between IELTS Academic and IELTS General, check out our page about IELTS preparation here or this page on the official IELTS website .

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

IELTS Band 9 Writing Samples: Task 2 Essays

June 19, 2021

One of the best ways of learning how to write better is to simply read sample IELTS band 9 essay answers, and that is exactly what we have here: 10, Band 9 sample IELTS essays. Each essay is followed by a teaching point to show you why it is a band 9 IELTS essay.

Finally, all of the essays on this page have been written using the system I teach on this page IELTS writing task 2 and in my full IELTS course here that has helped thousands get the score they need.

You can also download these sample answers as a pdf file here if you prefer: IELTS Essay Samples Band 9 pdf or, simply read them below:

Sample Essay #1 – Two Part Question

In some countries, the number of people visiting art galleries is reducing. What do you think the reasons for this are? How can we solve this problem?

In certain locations around the world, the number of people visiting art galleries is declining. This essay shall outline some of the reasons for this trend and then go on to suggest ways in which this issue could be resolved.

Firstly, visitor numbers are on the decline due in part to the ever-increasing convenience and ability of new technology. If someone has access to the internet from a device then there is virtually no need to visit an art gallery as all the finest works can be viewed online for as long as you want and at a minimal cost. For example, there is virtually no reason to go to the effort of leaving your house and traveling across a city and then paying and queuing with other people just to see works of art that you could just as easily view from the comfort of your own home.

However, there are some effective ways in which we might reverse the trend of declining visitor numbers to art galleries. One such way would be to ensure that all the artwork at a gallery is not available to view online, or at the most, just a small sample of an art galleries work is available for viewing. This would then create a sense of curiosity in the viewers mind and make them more likely to visit the art gallery. Furthermore, you could create a discussion zone at the art gallery where like-minded individuals could meet face to face and discuss the particular pieces of art that interest them. This would make visiting the gallery a more unique experience and be more likely to catch people’s interest.

Overall, visitor numbers are declining but there are a number of ways to tackle this problem. It is up to the art galleries themselves to come up with solutions and then deliver these to the public if they wish to survive in the future. 319 words

Teaching Point: Notice how both of these topic sentences directly answer one of the questions asked in the question. This is key to making sure that you do not go off topic and do in fact answer the question. This ensures you will not lose marks for Task Achievement.

Sample Essay #2 – Discussion And Opinion

In many countries, men and women work full-time. It is therefore logical for men and women to share household work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays, many people believe that men and women should share household chores equally as both genders are just as likely to have full-time jobs. Personally, I agree with this viewpoint and the following paragraphs shall outline my reasons for this belief.

First and foremost, traditional gender roles have been severely diminished in many cultures in recent years. This means that less pressure is now placed on women to complete the tasks that were commonly associated as being a women’s job to complete. These days it is just as acceptable for a man to do the housework as it is for the women, and they won’t be looked down upon by their male friends as they might have been in the past.

Secondly, it has become much more commonplace for women to be the main breadwinners of a household and therefore by default have less time available for domestic duties This means that it often makes more sense for men to stay at home and not work, which in turn means that they have more time available to complete household chores than might have been the case in the past. Imagine, if a woman worked full time and then had to come home and complete all of the household chores as well, regardless of whether the partner was working or not, the relationship would be put under a great deal of pressure and might eventually end if they were left to do the chores alone.

In summary, I agree that the changing trends of society mean that couples are often led to divide household chores more equally these days. Despite resistance by certain groups, this trend is likely to continue into the future.

Teaching Point: Notice how I have repeated my opinion twice, in both the introduction and conclusion but have done so using different words. This shows off a range of vocabulary but also ensures that I have answered the original question that was asked.

Sample Essay #3 – Discussion And Opinion

Libraries are a waste of money, therefore, computers should be used to replace them. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people are of the opinion that libraries funding should be cut and the money invested in making computers available to the public instead. I mostly agree with this line of thought and the following paragraphs shall explain why this is the case.

Firstly, libraries should not receive any more funding because they contain such a limited and often outdated amount of information. As soon as a book is published it goes out of date and cannot be updated without an entirely new copy being printed which is both costly and time-consuming. On the other hand, a computer connected to the internet overcomes both of these limitations with ease, for example, any web-site, pdf, or online journal can be continuously updated by the authors and there is no time wasted in printing of the book.

On the other hand, though, libraries do still offer a quiet place for members of the public to go and read. In today’s fastpaced society there are few places to be found where people can simply go and relax without fear of being hassled by salesman or traffic which may have damaging consequences for the public. For instance, a report in the ‘Journal of Good Health’ recently reported that spending as little as 5 minutes per day sat quietly on your own can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 50%, so, losing the quiet space of a library could harm a nation’s overall health.

To sum up, the public need for up to date information and also for restful places for people to relax needs to be considered carefully. Governments need to decide what their priority is and act accordingly. 279 words

Teaching Point: Notice how in the first line of the introduction I have simply paraphrased the question statement using my own words. I have also changed the order of the information in the sentence. This shows the examiner that I have good grammatical control and also a range of vocabulary.

Sample Essay #4 – Discussion And Opinion

Some people think that money is the best gift to give a teenager, others disagree. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

Certain groups of people are of the opinion that giving teenagers cash is the most appropriate present to present them with, however, some people disagree with this approach. Personally, I believe that this is not the case and this essay shall outline arguments for either side.

Firstly, teenagers are often very impulsive by nature and are likely to make decisions that may not be in their best overall interest. As a consequence, if you hand over money to a teenager they may well simply go and waste the money on consumable goods and sometimes harmful items such as drugs, alcohol, or other such substances. Therefore, it is probably in the teenagers best interest if you buy them constructive presents that they can get greater value and education out of. For example, buying a teenager book tokens to further their knowledge is far more productive than giving them cash to blow on alcoholic beverages.

On the other hand, however, some people would say that allowing the teenager the freedom to choose what they want to spend their money on is an important lesson for them to learn. Not only does it allow them to see that you trust them but it also means that they are likely to buy something that they will actually value. Furthermore, if a teenager senses that you do not trust them then they are likely to hold this against you and use it against you at some point in the future, whereas, they may well act more responsibly if you hand over cash for them to spend.

In conclusion, teenagers are at a very sensitive stage of their development, however, I remain of the opinion that they do need some guidance in the way that they spend their money. Parents should take care to manage this situation appropriately. 302 words

Teaching Point: Notice how the conclusion starts by summarizing the two topic sentences using different vocabulary, Once again this proves to the examiner that you have a good range of vocabulary.

Sample Essay #5 – Opinion Essay

Some people believe that people who do physical work should be paid the same as people who have a high-level degree. Do you agree or disagree?

Certain groups of people are of the opinion that people who engage in manual labour should receive the same level salary as someone who is highly educated. I disagree with this point entirely and shall outline the reasons for this in the following paragraphs.

One of the main reasons why highly educated people should receive a greater salary than lower-skilled workers is that they create more value for a business in the long term. This is because a lower skilled worker will simply do as they are told and perform their role in the organisation whereas a highly skilled worker is more likely to suggest solutions to problems or invent more productive ways of doing something. Over the course of a number of years, these incremental improvements could lead to large increases in profit for the company.

Allied to this, graduates have often invested a great deal of time and money into their education and so surely, therefore, deserve to be paid more to cover this. For example, a recent survey from ‘Time’ magazine revealed that the average medical student seeking to become a doctor graduates with more than $150,000 of debt before they have even earned a penny.

Furthermore, countries need educated populations in order to develop, organise themselves and grow. Therefore governments need to make sure students are encouraged to study for higher qualifications and paying higher salaries to these individuals when they finally graduate is one way of ensuring this.

In conclusion, more highly educated employees are worth more to a company and a country. These are the main reasons why I continue to believe they should be paid more. 273 words

Teaching Point: It is helpful to develop your paragraphs by using examples. However, this is difficult to do as you do not know what question you will be asked. This is why you should just make up realistic sounding examples. It really is not important if the example is true or not, the examiners do not care. All they want to do is assess your English. So, go ahead and simply make up realistic sounding examples to develop your answers just as I have done here!

Sample Essay #6 – Opinion Essay

In some countries, children under sixteen are not allowed to leave school by law and get full-time work. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

In certain areas of the world, children under the age of 16 are prevented from gaining full-time employment by law. I believe this is a good thing and this essay shall outline the reasons for this standpoint.

Firstly, anyone under the age of 16 should be pursuing education rather than a salary. This is because they have the rest of their working lives to get a full-time job but only a few limited years during their youth which they can dedicate entirely to education. Education is the key to a positive future and so it is right that laws should prevent someone from damaging their own education. If we let young people simply do what they want with no thought for the future then we would not be guiding and protecting them as a society surely should.

In addition to the above, many countries around the world have high unemployment levels. If youth under the age of 16 were also added to the working population then this would likely only lead to further increases in unemployment. For example, in Greece the ‘Greek Echo’ recently reported that unemployment had increased to a record level of 38% of the population. Furthermore, having unemployed youngsters on the streets often leads to increased crime rates, especially those relating to anti-social behaviour whereas if the youngsters had to remain in school or college they may well stay out of trouble.

Overall, beginning employment early has more negative impacts than positive. Governments should consider carefully when and how they allow people to finish their education if they wish their nations to be prosperous in the future. 269 words

Teaching Point: Notice how I have used two conditional sentences here to discuss future changes. This demonstrates a wider range of grammar to the examiner and therefore helps to improve your band score. Make sure you brush up on the second conditional in particular, as it is often useful in IELTS essays.

Sample Essay # 7 – Two Part Question

Nowadays, some parents pressure their children to be successful. What are the reasons for this? Is this a positive or negative development?

In recent years, some children have been put under pressure by their parents to be successful in life. This essay shall discuss both the reasons why this is so and whether this is a positive or negative development.

It appears that some of the youth of today are placed under pressure by their parents to be successful because the world has become a very materialistic place and in order to show how successful you are you need to have money to buy nice things. This usually means that a good education is needed so a well-paying job can be secured. Unfortunately, as a consequence of students studying to gain a high paying job, which their parents may wish for them, they may actually be doing something which is not what they want to do deep down in their soul. As a result, a student may begin to lack motivation in their studies, lack of passion for what they are doing or even become depressed as a result.

Furthermore, the pressure placed on young people to succeed at school may well mean that they do not take part in other valuable opportunities. For example, rather than taking part in an International Award programme they may well opt to do extra homework because of the time required to gain the award. However, participating in the award would have provided them with so many opportunities to learn new and different life skills, such as: social skills, trip planning, map reading, fund raising, teamwork and so on, skills which you simply cannot ever learn from a book.

To sum up, anything that could cause depression or reduce a young person’s opportunities has to be a negative. Parents need to think carefully about what type of life they want their child to actually have and not just on future financial prospects. 308 words

Teaching Point : Notice that I have used a range of sentence starters and connectives to help the essay flow. I have not simply repeated the same linking words like ‘and also’, ‘then’, or ‘next’ that are often overused in IELTS essays. Using a range like this means that the essay sounds more natural and native like and of course helps improve a band score.

Sample Essay #8 – Problem And Solution

In many countries, people have health problems because they choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle. What do you think the reasons for this are and how can it be solved? Give relevant examples from your experience?

In many places around the world, people are choosing to live an unhealthy lifestyle and are suffering significant health issues as a result. The following paragraphs shall discuss the possible cause of this and offer a number of solutions.

Firstly, one of the main causes of these health issues is the influence of advertising from big businesses trying to make a profit. These businesses have no morals and are only interested in making money, this means that they will target anyone they can even though they know that their products are bad for people’s health. For example, MacDonald’s are certainly aware that their food is bad for children but they still target them through the use of associating clowns and Disney characters with their ‘happy meals’.

Allied to the above, people are ill disciplined even when it comes to the importance of their own health. These days, everyone knows the risks of eating ‘junk’ food on a regular basis but many continue to do so. The reason for this is that it is just too convenient and they are just too lazy to make some real nutritious food for themselves. For instance, anyone who goes out on a weekend will have witnessed the large queues of young people in fast food restaurants even when there are much more healthy options nearby including various supermarkets which all sell healthy ingredients from which to make food from.

In summary, the power of big business and the weak will of humans is damaging the health of many. Governments, schools and parents should consider carefully how they are going to tackle these issues in the coming years. 273 words

Teaching Point: Usually the second or third sentence of a paragraph will be explaining the reasons for what has been stated in the topic sentence of the paragraph.

Sample Essay #9 – Discussion And Opinion

Nowadays, many families move to different countries. Some people think that children gain many benefits from this while others consider it to be hard for a child to move to a foreign country. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

These days it is not uncommon for whole families to migrate to other parts of the world. Some people are of the opinion that this has a negative impact on the children involved whereas others believe it has a positive impact. Personally, I think the positives outweigh the negatives and this essay shall outline both sides of the debate.

First and foremost, generally people only move to other countries if they believe there is going to be a significant improvement to their children’s lives. Often this takes the form of improved education opportunities. For example, when the UK entered the European Union there was an immediate influx of people and part of the reason for this is that the UK offers a free and a quality education to any youngsters living there. Many migrants believe that the key to future success is education and that moving to the UK will enhance their children’s future.

On the other hand, removing a child from the culture they have grown up in may severely disrupt their behaviour especially if they did not want to move in the first place. Teenagers and even younger children are very sensitive to change and a major change such as moving to another country could cause a lack of confidence. For example, suddenly a child has to east food they are not used to and may not like, suddenly they may also have to get used to weather they may not have even experienced before. All of these things could cause a child to experience mental health issues.

Overall, children often gain more opportunities by migrating abroad although they will face new challenges. Parents should carefully consider the potential impact a sudden move may have on a child before they make the final decision. 296 words

Teaching Point : 4 main paragraphs is usually enough for most IELTS essays. An introduction of about 50 words, two body paragraphs of about 90 words each, and a conclusion of about 30 words.

Sample Essay #10 – Discussion

Earlier technological developments brought more benefits and changed the lives of ordinary people more than recent technological developments. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Improvements in technology that occurred in the distant past produced more positive effects than the developments that have occurred in the last few years. I completely agree with this statement and the following paragraphs shall outline the reasons for this belief.

The first telephone completely revolutionized the way business was done and benefited humanity greatly. For the first time people could send messages long distances with ease and the pace of business increased dramatically making more people richer and creating more job opportunities. However, these days when the latest iPhone update comes out the only real changes are to do with fashion rather than providing any real new benefits. For example, now you can upload items to a ‘cloud’, or play more advanced games, but neither of these improvements in anyway compares to the first time phones were released to the public.

Similarly to the above, the first computers also transformed the way companies ran their businesses. Previously there were filing cabinets full of paperwork and accessing that information could take hours to locate the piece of information that you wanted. In contrast though, computers have been around for so long now that they have almost reached their limit in terms of how useful they could possibly be. For example, the only real changes that happen now are new releases of the Windows operating system and the so called improvements are actually just considered annoying changes to many rather than actual improvements.

In summary, the most profound long lasting impacts that technology has brought us occurred many years ago. These days’ beneficial changes now come in very small increments and I believe that will continue to be the case in the future. 282 words

Teaching Point: Always start with an introduction which rephrases the question. You should try to use different words i.e. synonyms and paraphrases of the original words in the question so that you can show to the examiner your range and level of vocabulary.

Sample Essay #11 – Discussion

Nowadays, people of all ages from certain parts of the world spend most of the time at home rather than going outdoors. Discuss the reasons for this and say whether it is a positive or negative development.

In this day and age it is far more common for individuals to spend the majority of their time inside rather than outside. I believe this is a negative development for society and the following paragraphs shall offer possible reasons why this could be the case.

Firstly, spending more time indoors naturally indicates decreased activity levels. This automatically leads to reduced health of populations due to problems such as obesity, stroke, heart attack and so on which are all linked with decreased levels of exercise. Clearly this is a major negative for everyone concerned. Governments have higher health costs, people die younger and families of course are deprived of a family member needlessly.

Secondly, the fact that people are indoors more often than not indicates that less time is spent socialising with others face to face. This can lead to mental health problems but also to a decline in the development of ‘real world’ social skills which help to make people employable. Afterall, in most places of work there is a definite need to communicate face to face with colleagues of customers and if an individual is not capable of doing this it does not matter how ‘book smart’ they are they will not be able to function adequately in the workplace.

Overall, it is clear to me that there are far more negatives to positives of people spending more time indoors than outside. Governments, education authorities and parents around the world should carefully consider the consequences of such a trend. 251 words

Teaching Point: Your main body paragraphs, which are the two paragraphs in the middle of your essay, should begin with a topic sentence. This topic sentence should say what the main point of your paragraph is and does not have to be too long or complex. The reader should be able to guess what the rest of the paragraph is going to be about just from reading your topic sentence.

IELTS Essay Samples Band 9 PDF

For convenience you can also download these sample band 9 answers as a pdf file here:

IELTS Essay Samples Band 9 pdf

What To Do Next?

If you want to see the exact process I use to write essays like the above band 9 answers then there are two options. You can read my main guide to writing IELTS essays here , or you can go straight to my IELTS course page which thousands of people have used to master each part of the IELTS test.

Recommended IELTS Study Tools

Thank you for reading this article. I always get lots of questions about how else to get a better band score quickly. So, this is what I recommend:

Complete IELTS Course : Of course, my full course ‘ INCREASE YOUR IELTS ‘ covers everything you need to need to know to pass IELTS, including practice questions, model answers, grammar work, strategies for every possible reading, writing and listening question type, as well as a complete speaking course too, check it out here .

IELTS Essay and Speaking Feedback : To complete full mock tests and get feedback from IELTS examiners on your IELTS essays or speaking tasks then visit: IELTS Feedback and Mock Tests, here.

Improve your grammar fast by using the Grammarly suggestions to improve your writing. Every IELTS students should have this free grammar improving tool.

Improve all-round English skill with EnglishClass101.com . If you have failed IELTS more than once then you probably need to improve your general level of English. Use the free online lessons and vocabulary building tools here and start improving today! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Hi there, I’m Tim James a former IELTS examiner and IELTS teacher of over a decade. This site is where I share my exam strategies to help people get the score they need. I hope it helps you!

In A Hurry To Pass IELTS? Then Check Out…

A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

Free IELTS Resources
Practice Speaking Test

Select Page

Analysing a Band 9 Sample Answer for IELTS Writing Task 2

Posted by David S. Wills | Jul 16, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

Today, I want to analyse a sample band 9 answer to an IELTS writing task 2 question in order to show you what exactly makes an essay successful. Now, there are many things that could make a great essay, but today I just want to show you a few things you might not have thought about before in order to to show you what contributes to an essay getting the highest possible score.

I will start by talking about whether or not sample IELTS essays are actually worthwhile or not, then I’ll group the things I want to talk about into the 4 criteria by which all IELTS essays are judged – that’s Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion , Lexical Resource , and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. If you have a special interest in one of these areas, you can skip ahead to that, but I think it’s better to read the whole article.

If you prefer to watch this video, which contains many annotated examples, you can watch it instead of reading this whole article.

Are Band 9 Sample Answers Worthwhile?

Before we begin this lesson properly, I feel I should give a sort of disclaimer. Band 9 sample answers are probably not as useful or important as you might think and there are a few things that you must consider before you use them. Firstly, not all essays that are labelled as “band 9 sample answers” are really good enough to get band 9 in a real IELTS test. As I’ve said many times before here and elsewhere, most IELTS materials are made by people who can’t actually speak English very well and do not understand the exam. These people tend to write essays that are crammed full of words they found in the dictionary but which are incorrectly used. These are absolutely not helpful.

But let’s put them aside for the moment. Let’s say you find a sample answer that really is good enough to get band 9. What can you learn from these? Well, if you use them properly, you can learn quite a lot, but many English learners seem to think of these essays as something they need to reproduce. They tend to view them as the correct way of writing an essay, when in fact it is just one possible example of how an essay could be written.

As such, please note that whether you are using my sample answers or anyone else’s, you should not view them as something you need to copy in any way. Use them instead for inspiration. Maybe you can find some words or phrases there that are helpful, or perhaps the structure is different than in your own essay. You might also find that the writer puts forth their ideas in a very clear way, or there may be some interesting ideas you had not thought of before.

All this is to say, of course, that sample band 9 answers CAN be useful, but that you should not be overly reliant upon them. Considering that, let’s look at our question and answer for today.

A Sample Band 9 Answer

Let’s start by look at the question because all great IELTS essays must start from there. Here is the question we will be analysing:

In many countries today, many highly qualified graduates struggle to find employment. What factors may have caused this situation? What can be done about it?

First of all, let’s think what this question means and what our answer should include. It seems pretty straightforward to me. The fundamental issue is that graduates with good qualifications are finding it difficult to get jobs. We need to talk about why that has happened and what could be done to fix the situation. As you can see, it is a cause and solution question.

To this question, I would give a four-paragraph answer. First of all, my introduction would briefly explain the situation, then I would give an essay outline that said what would come next. My first body paragraph would look at the factors that caused it and the second would pose some suggestions for fixing the problem. Finally, there would be a short conclusion.

ielts writing task 2 structure (cause and solution essay)

Sample Band 9 Answer

Here’s my answer to the above question:

As an increasing number of people go to university, it is now common that graduates cannot find employment. This is a worrying situation, but there are some solutions to it. The current problem of graduate unemployment is largely caused by there being too many graduates. In the past fifty years, going to university has evolved from being an extremely rare occurrence for the smartest students who wished to learn specialist knowledge into something that millions of young people do. The result is a surplus of over-qualified candidates chasing the same jobs. In many countries, the economy is contracting and these graduates have to fight over very few available positions. The ones who do not get a job are left unemployed because they feel too qualified to take a lower-level position and work their way up, especially after having spent four years gaining advanced qualifications. Thankfully, there are some possible solutions. The first thing to do is to recognise that higher education has become too common, and so perhaps it is time that alternative routes are sought. Rather than going from high school to university, students can instead be encouraged to find a vocational training program and enter the workforce soon after leaving school. This would allow them to learn some practical skills rather than the theoretical knowledge they would get from university, and then build up real work experience over a long period of time. In addition, universities could set up better facilities for students to get such practical experience, so that when they look for employment after graduation, they will not be at such a disadvantage. In conclusion, many graduates are unable to find employment nowadays, and there are various reasons for this. The solutions are not easy to apply, but there are some possibilities to reduce the severity of this situation.

Task Achievement

What makes this essay successful in terms of Task Achievement? This part of the test may seem subjective and frustrating because we all have different ideas about issues – particularly ones such as employment and education, which are naturally going to vary from culture to culture. Please note that there are no right and wrong answers in an IELTS exam and even a strange answer could be successful if it was presented intelligently.

The important thing to note from the band descriptors is that your essay must “fully address all parts of” the question and that it is “fully developed” with “relevant, fully extended, and well developed ideas.” One of the biggest problems people face here is cramming too many ideas into their essay. It is impossible to develop your essay sufficiently if you make it into a vast list of supporting arguments. Instead, pick one or two ideas and then develop them.

Let’s look at the second paragraph of my essay. I have picked an idea, which is that there are simply too many graduates nowadays. You might agree with me or disagree with me, but that is not important. Maybe there is a better idea… but again it does not matter because the important thing is that my topic sentence is very clear and each of the sentences that follow it directly support it. The first sentence states my idea in simple terms. The second explains the issue from an education standpoint, with the third making the result very clear – there are too many graduates. The final two sentences tie this to employment and show precisely why having so many graduates causes high unemployment rates.

An examiner might read this and think, “Well, I had a better idea…” but they could not fault me for how mine was explained, and that is key to understanding Task Achievement. It is not about the right idea or the wrong idea; it is about explaining and developing your ideas logically.

Coherence and Cohesion

When it comes to Coherence and Cohesion , there is a lot to consider, but fundamentally it is all about presenting your ideas in a way that guides the reader logically from one point to the next. This means you need a good structure that groups your ideas sensibly and also that you need your ideas to be connected from one clause or sentence to the next.

I showed you my structure earlier and that is where all good essays should begin. My essay has four paragraphs, which is really all you need for a cause and solution essay – or pretty much any other IELTS essay, for that matter. I devoted one paragraph to the causes and one to the solutions, so that fulfils the requirements for organisation. But structure is easy. You could learn it in a few hours. What is harder is having progression and linking your sentences.

In terms of progression, I explained in the previous section about how each of the supporting sentences in body paragraph developed the topic sentence. This is a good start, but it does not guarantee good progression. I like to think of paragraph structure in terms of making a big statement, then making it more and more specific until you get into the fine details, using examples or hypothetical statements to link the minute details back to the bigger picture.

Doing this isn’t easy. First, you need to think logically and plan your essay, and then you need to use clear language to guide the reader. In my third paragraph, I started with a transitional statement that joined the ideas from the end of paragraph two to the main idea of paragraph three. The main idea started with “The first thing to do…” which is incredibly clear and easy to understand. The reader could not possibly be confused by what I’m saying. Again, my topic sentence presents a broad idea and is followed by another sentence that defines it more clearly. This is followed by a sentence that uses referencing effectively to convey a hypothetical scenario to make my suggestion clear to the reader. I say “This would allow them…” Many people forget that the use of words like “this” and “them” is essential for a good Coherence and Cohesion score.

how to structure and ielts body paragraph

Finally, I would ask you to look at my essay and tell me how many cohesive devices I’ve used. How many sentences begin with those classic IELTS phrases “On the one hand… on the other hand… for example…” and so on? I would argue that “Thankfully,” “In addition,” and “In conclusion” are the only ones I’ve used. That’s because an essay that intuitively guides its reader by using subtle and intelligent cues will not need many cohesive devices . In fact, it clearly says in the band descriptors that over-using them would cause your score for this section to be around 6 or at most 7.

If you want to understand Coherence and Cohesion fully, then check out the video I made a few weeks ago. It goes into a lot of detail and will help you to understand what is probably the most difficult part of the band descriptors.

Lexical Resource

Whilst Coherence and Cohesion is probably the most difficult part of the band descriptors, Lexical Resource is surely the most misunderstood. That’s because IELTS teachers all around the world are busy telling their students to “use advanced vocabulary.” It is, quite frankly, an idiotic approach and these people are responsible for countless disappointing exam results.

What you need to think of when it comes to IELTS writing is using language in an accurate way and using vocabulary that is topic-specific. Sticking a so-called “advanced” word into your essay should not even cross your mind.

I think most of the people reading this article could look at my essay and understand all of the words I have used. That is because there are no words here that I’ve plucked at random from the middle of a dictionary. However, all of my words are used correctly and that is by far the most important thing. There are also some words that are specific to the topics of education and employment, which is also helpful.

If we look at paragraph three again, we can see some examples of this. The phrase “higher education” is used rather than repeating “university” over and over. “Alternative routes” is used to suggest a different way of going into employment. Importantly, this is a natural phrase that a native speaker would know rather than an awkward expression that has been cobbled together from words we would not intuitively use. The phrase “vocational training program” is excellent because this is a really topic-specific phrase. It falls into the category of “uncommon vocabulary” but you will note that it is not some insanely obscure phrase. This is the sort of language that you should aim for: accurate and relevant. Beyond that we have “workforce” and “theoretical knowledge.”

Importantly, my words are collocated correctly. That means they go together in natural ways. When I say “look for employment after graduation,” it might seem easy to you… You might be surprised this is in a band 9 essay… but a lot of IELTS candidates would write “seek for employment” or misuse the noun “job-seeker” by forcing it into a verb form.

I cannot stress enough the importance of accuracy here. If you want to learn more about Lexical Resource (and I think everyone should), then check out my video on it. This is a deep dive into a profoundly misunderstood subject.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Whilst the first three marking criteria have mildly confusing names, Grammatical Range and Accuracy is really very obvious. It is about both range and accuracy.

This means that your essay should use grammar in a correct way (that’s accuracy) but also use different structures (that’s range). You don’t have to go completely over the top and use every single verb tense, clause, and sentence type that your English teacher ever taught you, but it’s best not to sound repetitive.

Going back to paragraph two, we saw a breakdown of the sentences that I used to explain the causes of graduate unemployment. What do you notice about these 5 sentences? It is not obvious when they are written properly in an essay, but when formatted like this, we can see that they vary in length. This is something that good writers do without even thinking about it. Whilst it is not the most important part of an essay, it does affect the reader’s appreciation of it and can impact meaning. Note that the shortest sentence here functions to present a simple point after a very long sentence filled with detail. This is almost like a mid-paragraph conclusion that forces the reader to pay attention.

If we look at the first three sentences, we can see a compound sentence (with the dependent clause first), then a complex sentence, and then a simple sentence. There is a compound-complex sentence at the end of paragraph two, meaning that all 4 sentence types have been included. This is not strictly necessary but it does help in terms of range. I have used relative clauses and switched between active and passive voice where necessary. I have used modals intelligently and all my subjects and verbs are in the correct form. Even my punctuation is right.

This might seem like a very difficult thing to achieve and indeed grammar is the hardest part of the writing test in my opinion. However, it is worth noting that the band descriptors explicitly state that you can make “rare minor errors” and still get band 9, so you can take some encouragement from that.

I really hope that this article has been useful for you. As I stated earlier, sample answers are not always particularly helpful and can sometimes even cause further problems for the people who try to use them. On my website, I have many sample answers that I have written and each of them comes with some description that explains why I have written the essay in that way. I think this is really important because otherwise there is not much you can really learn from them.

are sample answers for ielts worthwhile?

The important thing to take away from today’s lesson though is that, whilst getting a high score for IELTS is certainly not easy, there really is no secret to it. For Task Achievement, you just have to provide a fully developed answer. For Coherence and Cohesion, you have to organise and link your ideas logically. For Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, you have to make sure that your words are used correctly and that you don’t repeat yourself too much. That’s pretty much the core of it, and anyone who’s teaching tricks and tips is just misleading you.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

Improve your Grammar for IELTS

May 17, 2016

Um… Is Hesitation in IELTS a Bad Thing?

March 22, 2021

Talking about Buildings

December 6, 2016

IELTS Reading Overview

March 17, 2017

Download my IELTS Books

Band-9 Samples: Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

This post contains ideas and band-9 sample essays for the Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 4 topic:

“Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?”

Brainstorming Phases

It’s advisable for you to attempt writing your own essay utilizing these ideas, examples, synonyms, advanced vocabulary, and proposed structures prior to examining any band-9 model essays.

Advantage & Disadvantage Ideas

Increasing access to diverse healthcare options.
Promoting holistic approaches to health management.
Reducing over-reliance on pharmaceutical interventions.
Fostering the refinement of traditional therapies.
Stimulating innovation in healthcare practices.
Supporting the growth of natural medicine industries.
Alleviating pressure on conventional healthcare systems.
Nurturing the integration of mental and physical care.
Promoting lifestyle changes for disease prevention.
Advancing tailored treatment plans.
Reinforcing pseudoscientific beliefs and practices.
Potentiating harmful interactions with conventional treatments.
Wasting resources on ineffective remedies.
Exploiting vulnerable patients seeking help.
Disregarding scientifically-proven medical advancements.
Undermining the trust in established healthcare systems.
Jeopardizing public health by spreading misinformation.
Overlooking critical diagnoses and interventions.
Contributing to the growth of medical tourism risks.
Encouraging risky self-experimentation with therapies.

Real-Life Examples To Make Ideas Clearer

Favoring positives:

Yoga and meditation practices have been proven to lower stress levels, increase flexibility, and improve mental focus, contributing to overall health and wellness.
Massage therapy provides numerous benefits, including reduced muscle tension, improved circulation, and decreased stress levels, leading to a better quality of life.
Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine practice, has been shown to reduce chronic pain and improve overall well-being in patients suffering from various conditions.
Reflexology, a therapy involving the application of pressure to specific points on the feet and hands, can help relieve stress and address various health issues, such as migraines and digestive disorders.
Herbal remedies, such as chamomile tea for stress relief or ginger for nausea, offer a natural and non-invasive approach to addressing common health concerns.
Chiropractic care has demonstrated effectiveness in treating musculoskeletal conditions, such as back pain and headaches, without the need for pharmaceutical interventions.
Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient Indian healing practice, considers the individual’s unique constitution and employs personalized treatments, such as dietary changes and herbal remedies, for optimal health.
Aromatherapy, utilizing essential oils, can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, promoting mental health and relaxation in individuals.
Art therapy encourages self-expression and has been shown to improve mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and stress in individuals coping with various life challenges.
Hypnotherapy has been successful in helping individuals overcome various issues, such as addiction, phobias, and weight management, by addressing the subconscious mind.

Favoring negatives:

Some alternative treatments, such as homeopathy, have been criticized for a lack of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness, leading to concerns about their reliability.
Detox diets and cleanses, often promoted as alternative health practices, can deprive the body of essential nutrients and cause harm if followed for extended periods.
The placebo effect, which occurs when a person experiences perceived improvements in their health due to their belief in a treatment, can lead to false perceptions of alternative therapies’ effectiveness.
Relying solely on herbal remedies may result in serious health consequences if an individual fails to seek appropriate medical care for a potentially life-threatening condition.
Certain alternative therapies, like energy healing or crystal therapy, lack scientific grounding and may divert individuals from seeking evidence-based treatments for their conditions.
Cupping and colon cleansing can cause physical discomfort or even harm when performed incorrectly or without proper supervision.
Some alternative therapies, like megavitamin therapy, may result in adverse effects or toxicity when used in excessive amounts, causing harm to patients.
The commercialization of alternative medicine has led to the rise of “health gurus” promoting unproven treatments and products, potentially exploiting vulnerable individuals seeking relief.
Individuals who opt for unproven alternative therapies, such as Gerson therapy involving strict dietary restrictions and coffee enemas, in lieu of evidence-based cancer treatments, may not only fail to receive the desired benefits but also risk exacerbating their condition and compromising their overall well-being.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, some individuals turned to unproven alternative therapies, such as consuming large doses of vitamin C or drinking herbal concoctions, instead of following evidence-based guidelines for prevention and treatment, potentially contributing to the spread of misinformation and a reduced adherence to public health measures.

Synonyms To Vary Your Language

Health problems:

Example: The rise in individuals seeking alternative therapies for their medical conditions has become a notable trend in recent years.
Example: As more people with health issues turn to alternative medicines and treatments rather than consulting their regular physicians, it has sparked a debate on whether this shift is beneficial or detrimental.
Example: A growing segment of the population is exploring alternative remedies to address their ailments instead of seeking conventional medical care.
Example: As more people with illnesses choose alternative treatments over conventional healthcare, it is essential to consider the consequences for overall health outcomes.
Example: The increasing use of alternative therapies for treating various diseases has sparked debates about their effectiveness compared to traditional medical interventions.
Example: The increasing prevalence of alternative medicine usage among those with health complications raises questions about the overall impact on public health.
Example: Nowadays, people with health disorders are increasingly opting for alternative treatments over traditional medical approaches.
Example: The shift towards alternative medicine for addressing health concerns has led to debates about its effectiveness and potential risks.
Example: The growing interest in alternative therapies among those with medical afflictions has intensified the debate on the role of non-conventional treatments in modern healthcare.
Example: As people with physical maladies increasingly embrace alternative treatments, the debate over the efficacy and safety of such approaches continues to grow.

Alternative medicines and treatments:

Example: In recent years, there has been a surge in interest regarding complementary therapies, with more individuals opting for these methods rather than consulting their regular physicians.
Example: With the expansion of supplementary therapies usage among patients with various health conditions, it is essential to determine whether this development is advantageous or detrimental to their overall well-being.
Example: The popularity of unconventional healing practices is on the rise, prompting a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of turning away from mainstream medicine.
Example: As the use of nontraditional therapies continues to grow, it is important to consider the implications of this shift on the healthcare system and patient well-being.
Example: As more people with health issues turn to natural remedies, it is crucial to evaluate the impact of this trend on the effectiveness of medical treatments and patient outcomes.
Example: The increasing reliance on non-mainstream medicine by people with health concerns calls for a discussion about the implications of this shift on the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes.
Example: The growing adoption of nonstandard healing techniques by those facing health challenges forces us to examine the potential positive and negative consequences of such practices.
Example: The growing inclination towards alternative therapeutic methods among individuals experiencing health problems raises questions about the potential positive and negative impacts of this trend.
Example: The growing attraction to unorthodox treatment approaches by individuals experiencing health issues calls for a discussion about the possible benefits and drawbacks of these methods.
Example: The expanding usage of alternative healing modalities among those with health issues prompts a debate on the possible benefits and drawbacks of such approaches.

Advanced Vocabulary

Example: Although many individuals are exploring alternative therapies, it is important to consider the efficacy of these treatments in comparison to conventional medical practices.
Example: It is essential for patients to disclose all ongoing treatments to their healthcare providers, as some alternative remedies may have contraindications with conventional medications.
Example: While some alternative therapies are not pharmacological in nature, such as meditation or massage, others, like herbal medicine, may have direct effects on the body’s biochemistry and should be approached with caution.
Example: Many patients view alternative medicine as an adjunct to conventional treatment, using it to complement rather than replace traditional medical care.
Example: It is important to distinguish between alternative treatments supported by scientific evidence and those based on pseudoscience, which may be ineffective or even harmful.
Example: Patients must exercise discernment when selecting alternative therapies, carefully weighing the potential benefits against the risks and considering the scientific evidence supporting each treatment.
Example: Public skepticism about the pharmaceutical industry and the potential side effects of prescription medications has contributed to the rise in interest in alternative treatments.
Example: The dissemination of information regarding alternative treatments through social media and other sources has contributed to their growing popularity, causing concern among medical professionals.
Example: The ostensible benefits of some alternative treatments may be exaggerated, leading patients to choose these therapies over more effective conventional options.
Example: The increasing popularity of alternative medicine has prompted greater scrutiny from the scientific community, which seeks to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of these treatments.

Advanced Phrases & Collocations

Example: Critics of alternative medicine often cite the placebo effect as a major factor in perceived improvements in health following such treatments.
Example: Encouraging health literacy is crucial in helping patients navigate the complex landscape of healthcare options, including both conventional and alternative treatments.
Example: Some individuals turn to alternative medicine and treatments as a form of preventative measures, hoping that a holistic approach to well-being will help them maintain good health and avoid the need for more invasive medical interventions.
Example: Patients and healthcare providers should consider the empirical evidence supporting alternative medicine and treatments, ensuring that the chosen therapies have a solid foundation in scientific research and proven effectiveness.
– Example: While anecdotal evidence may suggest the effectiveness of some alternative treatments, it is essential to rely on rigorous scientific studies to make informed healthcare decisions.
Example: The growing interest in alternative treatments represents a shift in the healthcare paradigm, as individuals increasingly question the dominance of conventional medicine and explore a broader range of options for managing their health and well-being.
Example: Respecting patient autonomy involves acknowledging the right of individuals to pursue alternative medical treatments, provided they are informed about the potential risks and benefits.
Example: To accurately assess the effectiveness of alternative therapies, it is essential to conduct well-designed, double-blind studies that minimize the potential for bias.
Example: Some individuals suffering from chronic pain turn to acupuncture or massage therapy as a means to alleviate their discomfort.
Example: A holistic approach to healthcare, which encompasses both conventional and alternative treatments, could potentially lead to a more personalized and effective treatment plan for patients.

Suggested Essay Structures

Below are suggested essay structures of various tones.

Structure 1: Neutral

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic statement.
Provide a brief overview of the arguments for trying alternative medicines and treatments and for visiting a usual doctor.
State that the essay will discuss both views impartially, without taking a stance.

Body Paragraph 1: Advantages of using alternative medicines and treatments

Introduce the main advantage of using alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting a traditional doctor.
Elaborate on the main advantage and explain why it is beneficial.
Present a secondary advantage related to the main advantage.
Explain the secondary advantage and its contribution to the overall benefits of using alternative medicines and treatments.

Body Paragraph 2: Disadvantages of using alternative medicines and treatments

Introduce the main disadvantage of using alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting a traditional doctor.
Elaborate on the main disadvantage and explain why it is detrimental.
Present a secondary disadvantage related to the main disadvantage.
Explain the secondary disadvantage and its contribution to the overall drawbacks of using alternative medicines and treatments.
Summarize both views without taking a stance.
Offer a final thought, emphasizing the importance of individuals considering the pros and cons of each approach to make informed healthcare decisions.

Structure 2: Favoring Positives

Provide a brief overview of the arguments for alternative medicines and treatments and for visiting a usual doctor.
State your own opinion on the issue, favoring the positives.

Body Paragraph 1: Advantages of alternative medicines and treatments

Introduce the main advantage of people trying alternative medicines and treatments.
Elaborate on the main advantage, explaining its significance.
Introduce a secondary advantage of people trying alternative medicines and treatments.
Elaborate on the secondary advantage, explaining its significance.
Emphasize the positive impact of alternative medicines and treatments on individuals and the healthcare system.

Body Paragraph 2: Addressing the arguments for visiting a usual doctor

Acknowledge the main advantage of visiting a usual doctor.
Explain the main advantage, but provide a counterargument to demonstrate why it is not as significant as the advantages of alternative medicines and treatments.
Reiterate the importance of alternative medicines and treatments despite the potential benefits of visiting a usual doctor.
Reaffirm your opinion on the issue, stating that you believe trying alternative medicines and treatments is a positive development.
Summarize the main points of both body paragraphs.
Offer a final thought or call to action, encouraging individuals and healthcare providers to explore the potential benefits of alternative medicines and treatments to improve overall health and well-being.

Structure 3: Favoring Negatives

State your own opinion on the issue, favoring the negatives.

Body Paragraph 1: Disadvantages of alternative medicines and treatments

Introduce the main disadvantage of people trying alternative medicines and treatments.
Elaborate on the main disadvantage, explaining its significance.
Introduce a secondary disadvantage of people trying alternative medicines and treatments.
Elaborate on the secondary disadvantage, explaining its significance.
Emphasize the negative impact of alternative medicines and treatments on individuals and the healthcare system.
Explain the main advantage, and emphasize its significance compared to the disadvantages of alternative medicines and treatments.
Reiterate the importance of visiting a usual doctor despite the potential attractiveness of alternative medicines and treatments.
Reaffirm your opinion on the issue, stating that you believe trying alternative medicines and treatments is a negative development.
Offer a final thought or call to action, urging individuals and healthcare providers to prioritize evidence-based, conventional medical treatments to ensure the best possible health outcomes.

Band-9 Sample Essays

Below are band-9 model essays of various tones and structures.

Sample 1: Neutral

In contemporary society, an increasing percentage of individuals grappling with health-related issues are opting for non-conventional remedies and therapeutic approaches over consulting their traditional medical practitioner. This essay posits that this phenomenon embodies both advantageous and detrimental aspects, which warrant further examination.

On the one hand, the burgeoning interest in alternative healing practices can be construed as a positive development, as it fosters a more holistic and patient-centric approach to addressing health concerns. Conventional medicine often focuses on alleviating symptoms through pharmacological interventions, which may potentially result in adverse side effects and reliance on medication. In contrast, alternative therapies, such as acupuncture or herbal medicine, seek to address the root cause of the ailment and emphasize the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and mental well-being. For instance, mindfulness meditation has been demonstrated to effectively reduce stress and anxiety levels, thus ameliorating the overall quality of life for numerous patients. Consequently, the shift towards non-mainstream treatments can be seen as a manifestation of society’s growing awareness of the limitations of traditional medicine and the importance of adopting a more comprehensive approach to health care.

Nevertheless, the rising reliance on nonstandard therapies has its share of drawbacks. Foremost among these is the potential for patients to neglect or delay seeking appropriate medical attention, which may result in the exacerbation of their condition. Moreover, the efficacy of many unorthodox treatments remains a contentious issue, as they often lack the rigorous scientific evidence that underpins conventional medicine. For example, the effectiveness of homeopathy has been widely debated due to the paucity of robust research supporting its claims. Consequently, patients who choose to forgo conventional medical advice in favor of untested alternative therapies may inadvertently jeopardize their health.

In conclusion, the surging popularity of unconventional treatments among individuals with health complications represents a complex development, comprising both favorable and adverse consequences. While it encourages a more integrative and patient-focused approach to clinical care, it also carries the risk of patients neglecting necessary medical intervention and potentially endangering their well-being. It is thus crucial for both health service providers and patients to exercise discernment when incorporating alternative medicine into their treatment regimens, ensuring that they complement, rather than supplant, evidence-based medical care.

(365 words)

Sample 2: Neutral

In recent times, there has been a noticeable surge in individuals dealing with health challenges who opt for non-conventional therapies and remedies, rather than consulting their customary healthcare practitioner. This essay will expound on both the favorable and unfavorable aspects of this phenomenon, without espousing a particular viewpoint.

On the one hand, the expanding dissemination of alternative treatments can be perceived as a positive development. Firstly, many complementary therapies boast a long-standing history of effectively treating various conditions in diverse cultures. As such, these practices might furnish valuable insights and potent solutions to certain health issues that conventional Western medicine might struggle to address. For instance, reflexology has been reported to provide relief for individuals suffering from stress-related ailments and chronic pain. Furthermore, the holistic approach of natural remedies, emphasizing the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit, can contribute to overall well-being and illness prevention, rather than merely tackling symptoms.

Conversely, there are also adverse implications associated with the mounting dependence on nontraditional treatments. A primary concern is the lack of stringent scientific scrutiny and empirical evidence for numerous such practices. This scarcity can result in patients receiving treatments that are, at best, ineffectual and, at worst, potentially dangerous. Moreover, the deficiency of formal regulation within the alternative medicine industry can render patients susceptible to unscrupulous practitioners who may capitalize on their desperation for relief. For example, the use of dubious techniques such as cupping and colon cleansing has been reported to cause severe complications, including burns, infections, and even bowel perforations in some cases.

In conclusion, the burgeoning inclination among those with health-related issues to explore alternative medicines and treatments presents both promising possibilities and potential hazards. While certain practices may deliver efficacious solutions and a holistic approach to well-being, the absence of scientific validation and regulation in the sector cannot be disregarded. Additionally, the contraindications of certain unorthodox therapies should not be overlooked. It is therefore crucial for healthcare consumers to exercise caution and judiciousness when considering non-conventional therapies and to consult with qualified professionals to safeguard their safety.

(341 words)

Sample 3: Favoring Positives

The modern age has witnessed a rising number of people with health complications who are turning to unconventional remedies, rather than consulting their usual physicians. I believe that this shift is mainly advantageous, as it provides distinct benefits that contribute to improved health and medical care.

The foremost advantage of patients adopting non-traditional therapies is the opportunity to experience a more holistic approach to their health. This method does not only address physical symptoms but also takes into account the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of a person’s well-being. A prime example is the employment of herbal remedies or supplements, which can bolster the immune system and support overall health with minimal side effects. Additionally, unconventional treatments often emphasize the significance of prevention and self-care, inspiring people to embrace healthier lifestyles, such as incorporating routine exercise and maintaining a balanced diet.

A secondary benefit of people pursuing alternative therapies is the potential alleviation of pressure on the standard healthcare system. As more individuals explore self-treatment options, the burden on conventional hospital facilities may lessen, enabling medical experts to concentrate their resources on more severe cases. This, in turn, can lead to shorter waiting times for patients and improved efficiency within the healthcare sector.

Nevertheless, advocates of mainstream medicine frequently contend that consulting a typical physician guarantees precise diagnosis and evidence-based treatment. While this argument holds merit, it is crucial to acknowledge that numerous unconventional remedies are backed by scientific studies and can be incorporated into a comprehensive care plan. Furthermore, the escalating interest in non-traditional medicine has spurred further investigation into the efficacy of these treatments, which may contribute to their growing recognition and utilization in conventional medicine.

In summary, I strongly maintain that the increasing inclination of individuals choosing alternative therapies is a favorable development. The comprehensive approach and potential easing of pressure on the standard healthcare system present considerable benefits, and it’s vital for both individuals and physicians to stay open-minded and investigate the potential of these complementary therapies.

(331 words)

Sample 4: Favoring Positives

In recent years, there has been a palpable surge in the prevalence of individuals grappling with maladies, who opt for unconventional medical practices rather than relying on their customary physicians. This essay argues that this development is largely advantageous, as it fosters a more personalized approach to healthcare and encourages the integration of holistic treatments in modern medicine.

To begin with, the adoption of alternative healing methods allows for a tailored healthcare experience, catering to the unique needs and preferences of each individual. Traditional medical practices often adhere to a one-size-fits-all approach, primarily focusing on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause of the ailment. In contrast, non-conventional therapies, such as hypnotherapy or acupuncture, place emphasis on the individual’s overall well-being, taking into account both their physical and emotional needs. For instance, a patient suffering from chronic pain might find solace in practicing yoga or undergoing massage therapy, which not only alleviates their discomfort but also promotes relaxation and mental clarity. Consequently, this person-centric approach empowers people to take control of their health, fostering a sense of patient autonomy and self-efficacy.

Moreover, the rising popularity of alternative medicinal practices paves the way for a more comprehensive understanding of human health, as it encourages the integration of diverse healing modalities into mainstream medicine. For too long, Western medicine has been the dominant force in the healthcare landscape, often overlooking the valuable knowledge and techniques offered by traditional systems, such as Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese medicine. By embracing a more inclusive approach, healthcare professionals can draw upon a wealth of resources to develop innovative treatments that address the multifaceted nature of human health. For example, recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of meditation and mindfulness-based interventions in the management of stress and anxiety disorders, leading to their integration into conventional therapeutic practices.

In conclusion, the increasing inclination of individuals with health concerns to seek alternative remedies represents a positive development in the realm of healthcare. Not only does it provide patients with a more customized and empowering healthcare experience, but it also facilitates the integration of diverse healing practices, fostering a more holistic and inclusive understanding of human health.

(359 words)

Sample 5: Favoring Negatives

In recent times, there has been a discernible shift in the healthcare paradigm, as individuals with medical afflictions are increasingly opting for alternative treatments rather than seeking the counsel of standard healthcare providers. This essay posits that such a tendency is predominantly detrimental to public health, with the primary concern being that these unconventional approaches lack rigorous scientific validation.

One of the most pressing issues with this development is the ostensible effectiveness of certain unorthodox remedies in addressing serious illnesses. The absence of empirical evidence and double-blind studies in support of these methods can lead to catastrophic consequences for patients, who might forgo conventional medical interventions in favor of unsubstantiated treatments. To elucidate, a cancer patient who opts for energy healing may experience a temporary placebo effect, yet the malignancy, left unchecked, can aggressively progress, diminishing the prospects of a successful recovery.

Furthermore, the lack of regulation surrounding alternative remedies exacerbates the risks associated with their use. In many jurisdictions, these practices are not subject to the same stringent oversight as mainstream medicine, permitting unqualified practitioners to operate with impunity. Consequently, patients may receive substandard care or be subjected to outright fraud. For example, a purveyor of crystal therapy may claim to possess the ability to treat a wide array of ailments, yet their assertions are likely to be devoid of any scientific basis, thereby leaving those who entrust their well-being to such individuals vulnerable to harm.

However, it is crucial to acknowledge that non-traditional treatments can serve as an adjunct to conventional medical care in specific circumstances. For instance, aromatherapy or art therapy can help alleviate stresses, thereby enhancing patients’ overall quality of life and providing a sense of comfort during their recovery journey. Nonetheless, it is essential that people exercise discernment and maintain a healthy dose of skepticism when considering these options, as they should not supplant evidence-based interventions.

In conclusion, while some alternative medicines may offer supplementary benefits when used judiciously, the overall trend of individuals eschewing conventional medical care in favor of unproven methods constitutes a negative development. Society must emphasize the importance of health literacy and promote the dissemination of accurate information that highlights the risks associated with non-conventional practices. By doing so, we can empower patients to make informed decisions that prioritize their long-term health and well-being.

(383 words)

Sample 6: Favoring Negatives

In contemporary society, an increasing number of individuals afflicted with medical issues are turning to alternative forms of medicine instead of consulting their customary medical practitioners. Although the appeal of unconventional methods may be understandable, this essay contends that it is primarily a detrimental development.

Firstly, the widespread adoption of nontraditional treatments is often underpinned by a proliferation of pseudoscience, which can have deleterious consequences on public health. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic, an alarming volume of misinformation was circulated that endorsed unproven remedies and preventative measures. This led to a substantial number of individuals eschewing evidence-based practices, such as vaccinations and mask-wearing, in favor of purportedly “natural” solutions. Consequently, the spread of the virus was exacerbated, resulting in countless unnecessary fatalities and a prolonged global crisis.

Secondly, the inclination to pursue alternative therapies frequently engenders risky self-experimentation, as patients may be swayed by unfounded claims and anecdotal evidence. In the absence of stringent regulations and scientific scrutiny, people may unwittingly subject themselves to treatments that are either ineffective or actively harmful. For example, some individuals may rely on herbal supplements that have not undergone rigorous testing, leading to adverse reactions or even exacerbating existing conditions. This not only endangers their personal well-being but also places an unnecessary strain on healthcare systems when complications arise.

In conclusion, the growing preference for nonstandard remedies among those with medical problems is predominantly a negative development. This trend is fueled by the spread of pseudoscience and misinformation, which can have dire consequences, as evidenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the propensity for perilous self-experimentation poses significant risks to individual welfare and places undue pressure on already-strained healthcare resources. It is incumbent upon society to promote science-based medicine and foster trust in conventional hospital systems to mitigate these hazards and safeguard public health.

(300 words)

Cambridge IELSTS 17 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 1 samples band 9 - Taking risks featured image

Band-9 Samples: It is important for people to take risks, both in their professional lives and their personal lives. Do you think the advantages of taking risks outweigh the disadvantages?

Cambridge IELSTS 17 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 2 samples band 9 - Children using smartphones featured image

Band-9 Samples: Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. Why is this the case? Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 3 samples band 9 - Professionals working home or abroad featured image

Band-9 Samples: Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 1 samples band 9 - finding out about the history of one's house or building - featured image

Band-9 Samples: In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in. What are the reasons for this? How can people research this?

Plans & Pricing

IELTS Opinion Writing Samples Band 9

Some people think that instead of preventing climate change, we need to find a way to live with it. to what extent do you agree or disagree, both government investment in public transport systems and reductions in public transport ticket prices would help to reduce transport pollution greatly. do you agree or disagree with this statement, as well as making money, businesses also have social responsibilities. to what extent do you agree or disagree, aircraft have been increasingly used to transport fruit and vegetables to some countries where such plants hardly grow or are out of season. some people consider it a good idea, but some people oppose itdiscuss both views and give your opinion., first impressions are important. some people think that doing well in interviews is the key to securing a good job. to what extent do you agree, in many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing. do you think this is a positive or a negative development give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience., the current trend in education is to move away from traditional exams and instead have continuous assessment over the school year what did you think of this trend , some people believe that technology has made man more social. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion, some people believe that modern technology is increasing the gap between rich and poor, while others disagree and say that it is helping reduce the gap. discuss both views and give your own opinion., the crime rate nowadays is decreasing compared to the past due to advanced technology which can prevent and solve the crime. do you agree or disagree, some people say that parents have the most important role in a child development. however, others argue that other things like television or friends have the most significant influence. discuss both views and give your opinion., it is widely believed that children of different levels of intelligence should be taught together, while others think that more intelligent children should be taught separately. discuss and present your opinion., the best way to solve the world’s environmental problems is to increase the cost of fuel. do you agree or disagree with this view, it is common aspiration among many young people to run their own business, rather than work for an employer. do you think the advantages of working for yourself outweigh the drawbacks, a person should never make an important decision alone. do you agree or disagree with this following statement, some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. why is this the case do you think this is a positive or a negative development, some people think that planting trees in open space cities and towns is more important than building houses. to what extent do you agree or disagree, many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. do you agree or disagree, in their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some ways. why is this do you think it is a positive or negative development, some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion.

Unlimited Task 1 checks Get all the feedback you need to keep improving your charts and letters.
Unlimited Task 2 checks Practice and perfect your skills with essays.
Personalized suggestions Know how to boost your score.
Detailed mistakes analysis Get instant feedback. Spot every mistake.
Topic ideas generator Get topic-specific ideas to enhance your writing.
Vocabulary helper Get the right words for any topic.
Progress tracking Track your writing improvements.

IELTS Mentor "IELTS Preparation & Sample Answer"

Skip to content
Jump to main navigation and login

Nav view search

IELTS Sample

Band 9 IELTS Essay # 1:

The environmental problems that today's world is facing are so great that there is little ordinary people can do to improve the situation. so government and large organizations should be responsible for reducing the amount of damage being done to the environment., band 9 ielts essay # 2:, some people believe that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business and the academic world. others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be shared freely., band 9 ielts essay # 3:.

IELTS Materials

IELTS Bar Graph
IELTS Line Graph
IELTS Table Chart
IELTS Flow Chart
IELTS Pie Chart
IELTS Letter Writing
IELTS Essay
Academic Reading

Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Copyright Notice
HTML Sitemap

Practice Test
Useful Tips – Tricks
Full Writing Review
General Writing Task
Writing Task 1
Writing Task 2
Writing Exercises
Writing Sample – Topics
Writing Vocabulary
Speaking Vocabulary
Intro Question
Speaking Part 1
Speaking Part 2
Speaking Part 2 – Audio
Speaking Part 3
IELTS Books
Recent Exams
IELTS Vocabulary
Essay from Examiners
IELTS Ideas

IELTS App - For Mobile

Ready for the IELTS exam with our IELTS app. Over 2 million downloads

Popular Last 24h

[pdf + audio] download full set of 4000 essential english words, ielts preparation tips | top-10 online free sites, cue card #50: talk about someone who encourages you to achieve goals or someone who encouraged you to achieve a goal, list of top 100 synonyms in the ielts test, writing task 1: the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now, ielts speaking part 1 : photographs (question-answer), describe a person whom you met for the ﬁrst time and made you happy.

IELTS Test/Skills FAQs
IELTS Scoring in Detail
Forecast Speaking – 2023
List IELTS Speaking Part 3
List IELTS Speaking Part 1
IELTS Writing 2023 – Actual Test

Our Telegram

Join our community for IELTS preparation and share and download materials.

The information on this site is for informational purposes only. IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, or IDP Education Australia.

Latest Articles

Ielts reading practice 120: nutmeg – a valuable spice, ielts reading practice 119: could urban engineers learn from dance, ielts speaking part 1: neighbours, most popular, describe a ﬁlm that made you laugh, topic: experience is the best teacher, describe something difﬁcult you would like to succeed in doing, in many countries，today there are many highly qualified graduates without employment..

IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

IELTS Writing: Five Band 9 Words For Your Next Essay

These Band 9 words were all chosen from the Cambridge English Dictionary. This dictionary is made by Cambridge ESOL, which is responsible for the academic side of the IELTS exam .

Within this dictionary, we can see that all our Band 9 words below are classed as C2 level (CEFR) . C2 level broadly equates to Band 8 – 9.

Word 1: Appalling

In some parts of the world war, poverty and malnutrition have created bad conditions for the poor souls who live there. In some parts of the world war, poverty and malnutrition have created appalling conditions for the poor souls who live there.

Our historical past is filled with very bad acts of hatred and cruelty, much of it committed in the name of religion. Our historical past is filled with appalling acts of hatred and cruelty, much of it committed in the name of religion.

Climate change is said to be the cause of not so good weather conditions experienced in many parts of the world. These include hurricanes, floods and freezing conditions. Climate change is said to be the cause of appalling weather conditions experienced in many parts of the world. These include hurricanes, floods and freezing conditions.

Word 2: Classical

Clothes cut along normal lines tend to be more formal and will look good no matter what the current day fashion trends. Old style ballet remains popular despite the introduction of many more modern dance forms. Old and traditional style architecture is typically based on ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

Clothes cut along classical lines tend to be more formal and will look good no matter what the current day fashion trends. Classical ballet remains popular despite the introduction of many more modern dance forms. Classical architecture is typically based on ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

Word 3: Adolescent

Hormonal disturbances in teenage boys and girls have a tendency to lead to skin outbreaks. This, in turn, can damage their self-esteem. Children who are almost adults undergo many physical and emotional changes, which can be confusing for both the teenagers and their parents.

Hormonal disturbances in adolescent boys and girls have a tendency to lead to skin outbreaks. This, in turn, can damage their self-esteem. Adolescent children undergo many physical and emotional changes, which can be confusing for both the teenagers and their parents.

Word 4: Cumulative

It is vital to study not just the financial accounts for the month but to evaluate the long term effect on the annual results. Lots of detailed measures allow financial analysts to follow trends over time. It is not just a single incident but repeated sun exposure that causes skin cancer

It is vital to study not just the financial accounts for the month but to evaluate the cumulative effect on the annual results. Cumulative measures allow financial analysts to follow trends over time. It is not just a single incident but cumulative sun exposure that causes skin cancer.

Word 5: Attainable

Managers should set easy to reach targets. Otherwise, the employees will be discouraged and will not strive to achieve to meet the objectives. Dieters who set easy weight loss goals are much more likely to keep going and lose weight. The highest possible score in the exam was Band 9.

Managers should set attainable targets. Otherwise, the employees will be discouraged and will not strive to achieve to meet the objectives. Dieters who set attainable weight loss goals are much more likely to keep going and lose weight. The highest attainable score in the exam was Band 9.

Before you book your IELTS exam

Practice these and other similar C2 words until you are comfortable using them in everyday situations. Don’t risk using them until you are certain that you can use them in context.
Find someone to speak to. There is no substitute for practice.
Read as widely as you can. Find interesting subjects that you can use as a basis for building your knowledge base to use as a basis for your written essay.
Repetition is the best way to learn and remember, so practice every day for the best exam results.

For more help with your IELTS writing, take a look at our writing tutorials.

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

You can also watch the full tutorial here:

Kindle Store
Kindle eBooks

Kindle Price:	$2.99
Amazon.com Services LLC

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Buy for others

Buying and sending ebooks to others.

Select quantity
Buy and send eBooks
Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

GET IELTS BAND 9 Through Essay Planning - 15 Band 9 Essays With Essay Plan Guide (IELTS Practice)

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

GET IELTS BAND 9 Through Essay Planning - 15 Band 9 Essays With Essay Plan Guide (IELTS Practice) Kindle Edition

Part of series IELTS Practice
Print length 72 pages
Language English
Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
Publication date January 30, 2015
File size 545 KB
Page Flip Enabled
Word Wise Enabled
Enhanced typesetting Enabled
See all details

Shop this series

First 3 $23.97
First 5 $33.55
All 9 available $50.31

This option includes 3 books.

This option includes 5 books., this option includes 9 books..

GET IELTS BAND 9 - Speaking Practice - Book 1: 20 Practice Tests + Expert Guide (IELTS Practice)

Customers Also Enjoyed
In This Series
English as a Second Language
Test Preparation

IELTS Writing Task 1 + 2: The Ultimate Guide with Practice to Get a Target Band Score of 8.0+ In 10 Minutes a Day

Customers who bought this item also bought

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00RKGVA38
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge IELTS Consultants (January 30, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 545 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 72 pages
#182 in Education TOEFL & TOEIC
#391 in TOEFL & TOEIC Tests
#630 in Distance & Online Learning

About the author

Cambridge ielts consultants.

We are a team of IELTS trainers and examiners based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Since 2014, thousands of people around the world have used our IELTS test preparation books to achieve the band score they need, often after previous disappointing results. We have a clear but highly effective set of methods that can increase your score radically, even if there are some mistakes in your English.

We have a range of self-study books on Amazon for:

IELTS Speaking

General Training Writing Task 1 letters

Writing Task 2 (Academic and General Training Test)

Customer reviews

5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 60% 20% 9% 4% 6% 60%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 60% 20% 9% 4% 6% 20%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 60% 20% 9% 4% 6% 9%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 60% 20% 9% 4% 6% 4%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 60% 20% 9% 4% 6% 6%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

Report an issue.

About Amazon
Investor Relations
Amazon Devices
Amazon Science
Sell products on Amazon
Sell on Amazon Business
Sell apps on Amazon
Become an Affiliate
Advertise Your Products
Self-Publish with Us
Host an Amazon Hub
› See More Make Money with Us
Amazon Business Card
Shop with Points
Reload Your Balance
Amazon Currency Converter
Amazon and COVID-19
Your Account
Your Orders
Shipping Rates & Policies
Returns & Replacements
Manage Your Content and Devices

Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
Your Ads Privacy Choices

You are now being redirected to mayfile.online....

IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

Test Information FAQ
Band Scores
IELTS Candidate Success Tips
Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
How to Prepare
Useful Links & Resources
Recommended Books
Speaking Part 1 Topics
Speaking Part 2 Topics
Speaking Part 3 Topics
100 Essay Questions
On The Day Tips
Top Results
50% DISCOUNT

Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Bar Chart

An introduction and overview for an IELTS chart is given below. The introduction is the easiest paragraph to write and the overview is the most important paragraph in your report. Look at the sample paragraphs below for the IELTS chart given and fill in the gaps. This lesson will help you understand introduction and overview content as well as improve your language skills.

The chart below shows the average monthly expenditure by British households in three years.

Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Chart

Fill in the gaps with no more than two words in order to complete the introduction and overview for the above chart. Remember this is about paraphrasing and ensuring information is stated correctly.

Introduction

The (1) ……………………… illustrates the typical (2) ……………………….. of money spent each month on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment (3) …………..groceries by households in Britain in three years (1990, 2000 and 2010). Units are (4) …………………. in pounds sterling.

(5) …………………., the largest expenditure by far was on rent in all three years, (6) ………………. the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Although there was a significant (7) …………………. in spending on rent, transport and utility bills, there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items.

chart / bar chart
Overall (this is the most appropriate linker to use)
it is not possible to use “in comparison to” or any similar linker due to the grammar structure of the sentence. To use “in comparison to” the sentence must read “…the largest expenditure was on rent in comparison to the least amount of money spent which was on …”
increase / rise / growth

Here is a full model answer with an alternative introduction:

The bar chart illustrates how much money households in Britain spent in an average month on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries in 1990, 2000 and 2010. Units are measured in pounds sterling.

Overall, the largest expenditure by far was on rent, whereas the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Although there was a significant rise in spending on rent, transport and utility bills, there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items.

Expenditure on rent increased from around £450 per month in 1990 to £600 by 2010. Likewise, money spent on transport and utility bills climbed by almost £100 to about £250 and £150 respectively.

On the other hand, the typical amount of money spent on groceries in the UK barely changed, remaining at just over £300 over the three year period. The money spent on entertainment showed marginal change dropping only by approximately £10 to £100 in the final year. Tips & Vocab Paraphrases:

shows = illustrates
the average monthly = in a typical month
expenditure = amount of money spent / how much money was spent

As you can see paraphrases are minimal. Instead of lots of unnecessary paraphrases, alter the structure of the sentence to showcase your language skills. Over paraphrasing can lead to unnecessary errors which can lower your score.

Either state how many categories there are or list each category in the introduction.
Always give dates in the introduction.
Give the units if necessary as a final sentence in the introduction.
Put key features together in the overview.
The overview is usually a separate paragraph which starts with the linking word “Overall”. This helps the examiner locate the overview quickly which is considered a good aspect of report writing.
This IELTS chart is considered a simple chart and all students aiming for band score 6 and above should be able to write this report without many errors.
See the recommended links below to help you further.

Recommended Lessons

Click below to open the link:

Diagram Introduction and Overview Bar Chart Model Answer Video: Structure and Paragraphs for Writing Task 1
ALL WRITING TASK 1 TIPS, LESSONS AND MODEL ANSWERS

…………………………………..

Free Subscribe to get New Posts by Email

Email Address

how is my essay can any one review it and give an estimated band score

The bar chart Illustrates the average monthly spending of a typical British household in 5 different categories (Utility bills, Transport, Rent, Entertainment and groceries) in the year 1990, 2000 and 2010

Overall, rent remains the largest chunk of household expenditure. In a stark contrast entertainment was the least spend upon and the only category which saw a decrease in expenditure. Except rent, utility bills and transport which saw a significant growth in expenditure, the other two were relatively stable.

The expenditure on rent was the largest among all, growing significantly each year from just about 450$ in 1990, slightly over 500$ in 2000 and finally peaking at 600$ in 2010. Contrastingly the utility bills started quite low with expenditure slightly under $100 in 1990, eventually increasing rapidly to around 150$ in 2010. Transport also followed a similar pattern of significant rise in cost from just above 150$ in 1990 to marginally below 250$ in 2010.

On the other hand the expenditure on entertainment was substantially less while also being the only category which saw a slight decrease in expenditure, it was slightly over 100$ in 1990 remained constant in 2000 and took a slight dip to $100 in 2010 The cost of groceries remain stable over the years slightly ever rising in the given period; from been marginally above 300$ in 1990 to just reaching around 350$ in 2010

My website isn’t aimed at providing a feedback or marking service. But I do have time for a quick comment: 1) make sure you use capital letters correctly. The word rent does not need a capital letter in English grammar. So, using capital letters for categories when it is not grammatically correct will lower your score for Grammar, which counts for 25% of your marks. 2) in your first body paragraph, you write “The expenditure on rent was the largest among all” – you’ve already given that information in the overview so you will be marked down for repetitive information. 3) review your linking words. The word “Contrastingly” should be “By contrast” or “Conversely” or “On the other hand”.

These are not big mistakes – but you do get a lower score when you have a lot of small mistakes. So, avoiding these errors will definitely help your score. Writing Task 1 is a short report which means that every sentence must be precise and concise. For a high score, you must be very aware of each sentence and all information. Lastly, don’t forget that writing task 1 is a report, not an essay. When you realise it is a report, your style and aims change and go in the right direction.

Hi Liz, hoe are you,

i have a problem with my time management skills, i mean if write without setting a timer for 20 minutes i can write a very good essay. But i know that i have to write it in the given time , what do you recommend, HELP☹

I’m not clear on your meaning. In the writing test, you have one hour to complete two tasks. One task is a short report and the other task is an essay. Both must be finished in one hour. The advise is to use 20 mins for task 1 and 40 mins for task 2, but you manage the time yourself. There’s a clock on the wall in test rooms and a clock shown on the screen if you take the test on the computer.

Hi Liz, could you please check my title paraphrasing and overview? The bar chart illustrates the typical monthly expenses of British families over three years. The years are 1990, 2000 and 2010. Overall, it is interesting to note that, the highest amounts were utilised on house rent payments and lowest money was spent on entertainment and utility bills.

Remember that the overview is the most important paragraph you can write in your task 1 report. This means it must be more than one line with limited key features. You need more key features if you want a high score. Focus on the overview by reviewing all my model answers so that you do the same as the models I’ve given.

Hello, thanks a lot for your work. I was wondering how you would rate my text :

The presented bar chart describes the average monthly spending among 5 different categories including rent, transport, utility bills, entertainment and groceries by British families in 1990, 2000 and 2010. At first glance, it is apparent that households spent the most money on rent over the three years studied, while utility bills accounted for the smallest proportion of spending in 1990 and 2000. However, in 2010, entertainment was the category with the least expenditure.

Now, getting back to the details, we can see that every category underwent a constant increase in its expenditure except entertainment, which saw a slight decrease in spending from just over 100 pounds to around 100 pounds, and utility bills that underwent a drastic climb in expenditure which jumped from just under 100 pounds to about 150 pounds from the year 2000 to 2010. In all three years, the second largest category of spending was groceries which accounted for over 300 pounds in 1990 and soared up to around 350 pounds in 2010. In addition, transport remained the third spending category throughout the decades with a progression from around 175 pounds in 1990 to about 250 pounds in 2010.

The overview is the most important part of your writing task 1. Always start it with “Overall” so that the examiner can locate it quickly. It will almost always be in a separate paragraph. Also, “Now getting back to the details” is informal and not considered appropriate for writing task 1 reports. Take a look at the language in my model answers and use that language: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

Hi Liz! Thank u so much!! I learnt more from ur website and from u. What do u think about this introduction?

The bar chart illustrates the typical amount of money spent each month on utility bills and entertainment. Average monthly groceries by households Britain in three years. Units are measured in pounds sterling.

There are certain issues with this introduction. Firstly, the bar chart shows more than utility bills and entertainment. It shows transport and rent as well as groceries. You can either list all categories or just state the number “money spent in five areas of monthly life”. However, if there are only five categories, then state all five. Don’t list two categories in one sentence and then another in a different sentence. This isn’t logical organisation of information and you are being marked on logical organisation of information. The second sentence doesn’t contain a verb and repeats the information about being monthly. Your final sentence is correct. So, go back to my model above and make a note of what you need to remember about writing introduction and then make a list of what to avoid doing. This way, you’ll find introductions easier to write.

The bar chart illustrates the average monthly expenditure in 5 types (utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries) from 1990 to 2010 in England. The cost symbol are using in pounds sterling.

Overall, the amount spent on rent was consistently the highest expenditure. It was almost 450 in 1990 and rose steadily to exactly 600 in 2010. Whereas, the lowest expenditure was changed, from the utility bills about 80 in 1990 turned to the entertainment of exactly 100 in 2010.

Furthermore, both utility bills, transport and groceries climbed gradually except the entertainment. The entertainment’s expenditure was both about 120 in 1990 and 2000, after which it declined to 100 in 2010 and became the lowest monthly expenditure.

This bar chart illustrates the average money spent by British households in 3 years(1990, 2000 and 2010). Overall, the money spent on utility bills, transport, and rent has a significant increase, whereas it is volatile on entertainment and groceries. The highest money spent is on rent, the flip side to that the lowest spent on utility bills and entertainment. The money spent on utility bills, transport, and rent is an upward trend in all 3 decades. In 1990 utility bills, the spent is below $100 and then there is a slight increase but below $100 in 2000, finally in 2010 it reached nearly double to 1990 which is nearly $150. In transport, they spent less quarter to $200 in 1990, then above $200 in 2000 and a slight increase in 2010. In rent, they spent half near to $500 in 1990, then above $500 in 2000 and a large increase in 2010 to $600. In 2000, the money spent on entertainment is equal to that of in 1990 which is above $100 and then there is a slight decrease in 2010 to $100. In groceries, the money spent in all the 3 decades is above $300, there is a slight increase in 2000 when compared to 1990, and a little move in 2010 when compared with 2000.

You have a mistake in it, you must see the minute detail. the amount is not in dollars it is in pounds.

The chart provides information about British families’ monthly average expenses in five different categories (rent, transport, utility bill, groceries and entertainment) in the years 1990, 2000 and 2010.

Overall, throughout the period, most expenses were made for paying rent while the least expenses were made for utility bills. However, expenditure on grocery items remains almost unchanged.

People from British families spent most of their money on paying rent which increased over the period by nearly 250 pounds starling, 510 pounds starling and exactly 600 pounds starling for 1990, 2000 and 2020, respectively. Then for the groceries, they spent around 310 pounds starling in 1990 and later that reached around 320 pounds sterling in the year 200 and that remains unchanged till 2010.

In 1990 and 2000, expenses for their entertainment were just nearly 110 pounds sterling and later on 2010 amount dropped by 10 pounds sterling. Expenditures in the transport category increased over the year gradually where at the beginning they need to spent about 180 pounds starling, later on, in the year 2000 rose by approximately 35 pounds starling and at the ended with around 130 pounds sterling in the year 2010. Utility expenses increased from about 80 pounds to 150 pounds per month from 1990 to 2010 and there was a small change in 2000.

Hi Liz, than you very much for your help and your website! I tried to write the whole report, could you please let me know what do you think about it? Thanks a lot in advance!

“The bar chart illustrates the typical amount of money spent on five categories (utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment, and groceries) by households in Britain in three specific years (1990, 2000, and 2010). Units are measured in pounds sterling.

Overall, the largest spending was on rent whereas the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. While there was a considerable increase in the expenditure on rent, utility bills, and transport, the remaining two categories experienced little change.

In terms of rent, the expenditure stood at around £450 in 1990 and consistently increased up to just above £500 in 2000, before peaking at £600 in 2010. Both utility bills and transport experienced similar growth. Whereas the former rose from around £80 in 1990 to just below £100 in 2000 and further climbed up to roughly £150 in 2010, the latter increased from around £180 in 1990 to just more than £200 in 2000 and to roughly £250 in 2010.

On the other hand, spending in the remaining categories experienced little growth, if any. Groceries started at just above £300 in 1990 and sluggishly grew, increasing this figure by roughly £20 in 2000 and reaching around £350 in 2010. Entertainment was the only spending category that decreased over the considered period, with a stable amount of around £110 in both 1990 and 2000 that declined to exactly £100 in 2010.”

The two pie charts provide an information about the various sources of energy namely oil, natural gas, coal, hydroelectricity and nuclear power, in percentage, for USA between 1980 and 1990. Overall, the highest amount of energy was produced by oil, whereas hydroelectric power was the least sources of energy in both years in the USA. Similarly, coal, natural gas produced similar proportion of energy. However, nuclear power doubled the production in 1990. In 1980, 42% of the sources of energy was from oil that declined to almost 10% (33%) coming to the year 1990. Similarly, 26% and 22% of natural gas and coal was another main sources respectively, of which coal showed a slight increase reaching to 27% and natural gases dropping to 25% in the year 1990. Moreover, in 1980 nuclear power was at the 5% that doubled and reached 10% the next year. However, hydroelectric power remained at the lowest at 5% in both years.

The chart illustrates the average amount of money spent on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries, by households in Britain over three years (1990, 2000 and 2010). Units are measured in pounds sterling.

Overall, household expenditure is highest in 2010, compared to 1990 and 2000. Families spent the most money on rent, while the least average expenditure was on entertainment in 2010 and utility bills in 1990, as well as 2000.

The chart shows an increase in spending on all categories, except entertainment, with an approximately £10 decrease. This might not be unconnected with the proliferation of free content on the internet by 2010. Utility bills however, saw a quantum jump this year when compared to 2000 (approximately £50) while increase in the amount of money spent on transportation between 2010 and 2000, was not as much as that between 1990 and 2000 (about £10 and £40 respectively). These data perhaps pointing to increase the access, variety and number of home entertainment gadgets available to households.

In terms of rent, families spent £600 on average in 2010 which is about £150 more than the average expenditure at the start of the study, on the other hand, increase in the typical amount of money spent on groceries remained remarkably consistent (about £10).

There shouldn’t be any interpretations in this task.

The bar chart illustrates the typical amount of money spent each month for five different purposes (utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment, and groceries) by households in Britain in 1990, 2000, and 2010. Units are measured in pounds sterling. Overall, it can be clearly seen that there was an increase in the money spent for all purposes over a period, with the exception of entertainment which was decreased slightly during the last decade. In terms of individual items, while they paid the most for rent in all periods, the least for utility bills up to 2000 only. Eventually, this trend was changed and they spent the least on entertainment in 2010. British households spent a significantly larger amount on rent, groceries, and transport over a period. Out of all, rent was the most expensive, which consistently grew from 450 pounds in 1990 to 600 pounds in 2010. Secondly, while groceries showed a very slight rise of only around 50 pounds from 300 to 350 pounds, the expense for transport gradually increased from roughly 150 pounds to approximately 200 pounds in 2000, then climbed up to 250 pounds in 2010. On the other hand, they spent roughly just under 100 pounds on utility bills in 1990 and 2000, but it moderately increased to around 150 pounds in 2010. In contrast, their expenditure was remained stable with just above 100 pounds for entertainment, whereas, in 2010, it slightly declined to just under 100 pounds.

Hey Liz! Why there is no “a” before the word “little” in the last line of the overview “there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items”?

“there was a little change” = there was a small change “there was little change” – there was almost no change So, you see, the article “a” changes the meaning a lot.

Very helpful. Thanks heap. Liz

The bar chart demonstrates the monthly expenses made by households in Britain in 1990, 2000 and 2010.

Overall, the maximum expenditure is made on rent in all three years with dramatic growth in two decades, followed by groceries, with minimal or no expenditure growth in 2 decades. British people spent less on utility bills and entertainment.

In 1990, the British spent almost 450 on rent, increased by 200 in 2010, which was double the money spend on groceries in 2010. Household expenses on groceries were slightly above 300 in 1990, and hiked by around 10 in 2000 but remained constant after a decade.

Although expenses on utility bills and entertainment were the least that people spent in the UK, the utility bills hiked from below 100 in 2000 to nearly 150 in 2010. In opposite to this, expenses on entertainment were slightly above 100 in 1990 and 2000, which declined and reached 100 in 2010.

The household expenses on transport were two-fold less than that of expenses on accommodation in 1990, around 180 which proliferated by nearly 40 after two decades.

The bar chart illustrates the amount of money an average family in the UK spent on five different sectors in 1990, 2000 and 2010. Overall, the amount of money paid out on rent was the highest among all categories in all three years. There was a considerable rise in utility bills, transportation and rent, while the change in other sectors was minimal. Entertainment was the only sector that displayed a downward trend. Rent cost the families approximately $450 in 1990, and this number increased steadily by roughly $75 per decade to exactly $600 by 2010. Likewise, the amount spent on utility bills and transportation grew substantially, from around $90 and $180 to about $150 and $250 respectively. On the other hand, the spending on groceries rose slightly by about $10 to $330 in 2000, and then remained relatively unchanged in the next decade. In contrast, the figure of entertainment remained comparably stable from 1990 to 2000 at around $110 before a dip to exactly $100 in 2010.

Hi Liz! thanks so much for your help. What do you think about this introduction?

“The bar chart illustrates the average money spent by British people on different households’ necessities at the beginning of three different decades; 1990, 2000 and 2010. Units are measured in pounds sterling.”

You have the right approach, but be very careful presenting false information. This does not show the “beginning” of the decades. The beginning of a decade means the first couple of years. This chart show the whole decade, not just the beginning. Use your language carefully. Be precise. Otherwise, all good.

Hi Liz, I try to write the whole report for the chart, can you give me some comments about my writing? thank you — The chart illustrates the typical amount of money that British families spent every month in five categories in 1990, 200 and 2010. Units are measured in pounds sterling. Overall, except for entertainment, the expenditure on all other categories increased over the period in which the largest spending was on house rental while the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Regarding the renting budget, the figure was just around 450 pounds in 1990 then increased significantly to exact 600 pounds in 2010. This trend can also be seen in the expenditure on utility bills and transport where there was a significant increase of nearly 70 pounds after the period of 20 years from about 80 pounds to nearly 150 pounds and from approximately 180 pounds to around 250 pounds respectively. on the other hand, although the second major spending of UK’s families was on groceries, the change on the number was minor which was from about 310 pounds to 320 pounds by the end of the period. In terms of leisure activities, the figure was unchanged at around 110 pounds for the first decade then decreased slightly to shart 100 pounds in the final year.

u will get 7.5 or 8 band score for this

Dear Liz, First, I’d like to thank you for your useful informations and great idea for people preparing for IS exam and I have a little unclear cases. This is about the IELTS examination past paper books ,which are published by Cambridge, with numbers, such as,1,2,3 etc. These numbers demonstrate difficulty when incerase or just show order. When I practice with others IS practice tests books which issued by other organizations , some questions types from those books are considerable different from Cambridge test books.

They are the order the books were published. Book 1 was published years ago, book 14 will be published next month.

The bar chart illustrates how much the money British families spent monthly on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries in 1990, 2000 and 2010. The amount spent is measured in pounds sterling. Overall, it is observed that the British household spent the maximum amount on rent each month during these three years. In contrast, they spent relatively less on utility bills and entertainment. The biggest monthly expenditure of British family was to pay rent, which increased from 450 pounds in 1990 to 600 pounds in 2010. The next big spending was on groceries that remain almost constant at 310 pounds in this period. Furthermore, they also spent high amounts on transport which increased from 280 pounds to 350 pounds in these 20 years. However, the monthly expenditure of British people on utility bills was lowest at 80 pounds in 1990, increased a little to 150 pounds in 2010. Similarly, they spent the smallest on entertainment as they spent 110 pounds on entertainment in 1990 and 2000, which slightly decreased to 100 pounds in 2010. Please check my answer

As I remember that she’s already mentioned on her video you shouldn’t indicate the accurate data such as 150 or 280 pounds this means your band score will be affected badly.

You should give accurate precise data if it is possible to see that figure on the graph. If the precise figure can’t be given, you use “about” or “around” or “just under” etc.

Can you please check my Introduction and Overview.

The bar chart illustrates the average amount of money spent by British households on a monthly basis in utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries in three years (1990, 2000 and 2010). Units are measured in pounds sterling.

Overall, the highest amount of money was spent on rent in three years (1990, 2000 and 2010) while the lowest expenditure was shown in utility bills in the year 1990 and 2000. On the other hand, British households spent the least amount of money on entertainment in 2010. The chart also shows that there was a steady increased in the monthly expenditure of British households on utility bills, rent and groceries for the given period while amount of money spent on entertainment remained unchanged in 1990 and 2000 then slightly dropped in 2010.

You need to understand the meaning of an overview. See all model answers on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

The amazing Liz, this website was established in 2014, but I could not find a better one especially for academic writing !! Hurray

I am very happy because of this website.I have been searching that kind of website for a long time.Thanks a lot

It is one of the most useful website for ielts student thank you so much Liz. It is extremely incredible for any ielts student.

I’m glad my site is useful 🙂

your page helped me get 9.0 band score for my ielts exam

Fantastic!! Very well done to you 🙂

Wow! That’s a great score everyone’s dreaming of! What did you get on writing?

I noticed one more key feature that should be in the overview: more money was totally spent in 2010 compared to the other two years. Is that correct?

You need to decide not just which points to put in the overview but also how many.

The bar chart illustrates the amount of money spent by British household on expenses like utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries per month for 3 years. Units are measured in pounds sterling. Overall, the cost of living expense is seeing an increasing trend in totality except for entertainment expense. Rent and grocery are the major two expenditure of a British household in comparison to other expenses. In a span of 30 years significant increase in expenses like rent , utility bill and transport is seen. Rent saw consistent rising trend about L450 in 1990 to above L500 in 2000 and finally reached L600 in 2010. Furthermore, the utility bill expense in first two years were more or less the same(little below L100) but shot more than L150 in a span of 10 years. The transport expense in year 1990 was little over L150 then it flung to slightly below 250 and then the increase was gradual (approx. 250 in 2010) The expenses like entertainment and groceries were more or less the same over the years. As seen entertainment ranged from approx. L120 to L100 a downward trend as compared to groceries ranging from little above L300 to L340 showing an upward trend over the years.

PLEASE CHECK MY ANSWER TO THE BAR CHART USED FOR INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW.

you are using present sentence form (is, are) in the second body paragraph, which is wrong i guess, it should be written in past because survey was already conducted.

Yes …. Exactly 👍👍

Thank you so much Liz for your useful information

You writing task 1&2 practices and lessons are very helpful!

I just went through your different links of writing task 1. In every writing task that you have written, conclusion comes just after the introduction,but the ielts book which is authenticated by the cambridge and the ielts have the conclusion part at the end of the every task.I’m just concerned about this,why so?

Regards Bharat

See this video lesson: https://ieltsliz.com/writing-task-1-report-structure/

Hi,… Can I use pencil for both tasks of writing section. Plz suggest

https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-pen-or-pencil/

Thank you so much Liz. nd thanks for all the videos..

Can we write all listening answers in capital letter

https://ieltsliz.com/liz-notice-2015-2016/

Is that enough for writing task 1? I mean we have to write at least 150 words for task 1 but there are around 100 words.

This lesson shows the introduction and overview. It doesn’t not give body paragraphs. See my model answers for full writing task 1 reports. Liz

why groceries not included to overview?

Key features are put in an overview, not all categories. You are being marked on your ability to select information. Liz

Ok thank you so much liz.. 🙂

Hi dear liz Can I write (the chart illustrate the medium monthly disbursement. …etc)

No. “medium” is not appropriate as a paraphrase for “average” in this context. Liz

How about the word mean? Is is acceptable?

Hi, Thanks for your valuable informations. Here I would like to ask you about the last sentences is correct or not, because on your explanation states that “little changes in the amount spend on the other two items”. But there are other three items (transport, entertainment and groceries). Am I right or not? Thanks Josna

The other two refers to those which are not stated. Read the sentence more carefully. Liz

can we write atypical British family instead of household

Yes, you can write “a typical British family”. Liz

Hello dear Liz, Can you show us how to discraib 2 charts or 2 lines, because I have seen them many times.

Thank you, Ziyo

See the model for two charts here: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/ Liz

thank liz . I just want to know how to make sure that my grammar are correct .

I can only suggest that you find an English teacher to correct your writing. Unfortunately, I don’t offer that service. Liz

I wanted to ask if it is right to use “while” in number 6. Thanks

Yes, you can use that as well. I’ve added it into the lesson. Liz

Hi dear Liz! Thank you for useful source of information! I have a question. What will happen if I do not write overview for task 1? Instead can I just give general information after introduction and continue to write bodies?

Take a look at this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-band-scores/ . You MUST learn more about how your writing is scored. The band scores show that for one criterion (Task Achievement), you will only get band 5 if there is no clear overview. You need to put key features in an overview statement. All the best Liz

mam some suggest to write conclusion for task 1.is it necessary? what conclusion should contain?

Please look at the videos and tips for your answer: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/ Liz

hello mam , thank you so much for your guidance. can we write the approx value in brackets like for example(around $10)

Yes, you can use brackets in writing task 1. All the best Liz

This is a really inlentigelt way to answer the question.

Speak Your Mind Cancel reply

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

ADVANCED IELTS: Big Discounts Now

Recent New Lessons

50% discount: advanced ielts lessons & e-books, ideas in ielts essays & in ielts speaking, test yourself with linking words, ielts speaking part 2 cue card topics – 2024, new reading exercise for you (july 2024).

Click Below to Learn:

IELTS Test Information
Writing Task 1
Writing Task 2

Copyright Notice

Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

Click here: Privacy Policy
Click here: Disclaimer

Return to top of page

IMAGES

IELTS Essay Band 9: Cách Viết Điểm Cao Hấp Dẫn Click!
IELTS Essay Band 9: Cách Viết Điểm Cao Hấp Dẫn Click!
IELTS Sample Essay Topics 2020 Band 9
IELTS Sample Essay Topics 2020 Band 9
Cool Ielts General Writing Task 1 Sample Questions And Answers Best Skills On A Resume Key For
Ielts Writing Task 2 Sample Essays Band 9 Pdf

VIDEO

Best Tip for essay writing in IELTS 😍🔥
IELTS Expert Breaks Down Band 9 Answers
Latest IELTS Writing Test with band 9 answer, 2023
Ielts Writing Task 2
Vocabulary and Phrases You Must Know About Environment for IELTS Writing & Speaking to Get 7
Ielts List of Headings || IELTS Reading || ielts reading list of headings

COMMENTS

35 Sample Band 9 IELTS Essays
35 Sample Band 9 IELTS Essays
Cambridge IELTS 17: Sample Band 9 Answers
Sample Band 9 Answer: Tasking Risks. People differ in their attitude towards taking risks, with some people seemingly born to be risky and others rather risk averse. This essay will look into the advantages and disadvantages of an adventurous attitude and conclude that taking some risks is a positive thing. First of all, it should be noted that ...
IELTS Band 9 Essays
An IELTS Band 9 Essay is one that shows the examiner that you are an expert user of English. The official IELTS scale describes an expert user in the following way: "The test taker has fully operational command of the language. Their use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and shows complete understanding.".
Cambridge IELTS 9 Sample Essays
October 24, 2021. 8. Some People Say That the Best Way to Improve Public Health. Cambridge IELTS 9 Test 3 Writing Task 2 | Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Band 9 Sample Essay
IELTS Writing Task 2: Band 9 Sample Essay
IELTS Writing Samples Band 9
IELTS Writing Samples Band 9
IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Band 9
The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments. Target Band 7, 8 and 9 in IELTS Essays. Many people think that the techniques used to get a band score 7 vary from those to get a band score 9. This is not the case. The techniques for a band score ...
IELTS Band 9 Writing Samples: Task 2 Essays
Sample Essay #3 - Discussion And Opinion. Libraries are a waste of money, therefore, computers should be used to replace them. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Some people are of the opinion that libraries funding should be cut and the money invested in making computers available to the public instead.
Band-9 Samples: In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually
These are ideas and band-9 sample essays for the Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 2 topic: "In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?"
Analysing a Band 9 Sample Answer for IELTS Writing Task 2
Analysing a Band 9 Sample Answer for IELTS Writing Task 2
Band-9 Samples: Nowadays, a growing number of people with health
Here're ideas and band-9 sample essays for the Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Writing Task 2 Test 4 topic: "Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?"
IELTS Opinion Writing Samples Band 9
I firmly agree with this statement. 9. band. Some people say that parents have the most important role in a child development. However, others argue that other things like Television or friends have the most significant influence. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Consider the yeti.
cambridge writing task 2 band 9 sample Essay
🟢 3-day writing task 2 challenge: https://www.skool.com/3-day-challenge/aboutIn this video I share with you how to write an 'agree or disagree' essay in iel...
IELTS Essay Samples of Band 9
IELTS Essay Samples of Band 9
Band 9 Essay Sample
When preparing for IELTS Writing Task 2/IELTS Essay, many students prefer to read and observed how a band 9 essay is written. Reading a few band 9 IELTS essays is not only helpful in finding out how they are structured but also for increasing confidence. Here are a few "band 9 essay samples" before exploring how to write them. Band 9 IELTS ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: Music Essay (Band 9)
2. Sample Band 9. Many believe that music is an effective means of strengthening the bond between people from different cultural backgrounds and generations. From my perspective, I wholeheartedly agree with this point of view. To begin with, music has an exceptional ability to evoke a wide range of feelings of the listeners such as sadness ...
IELTS Report Samples of Band 9
IELTS Report Samples of Band 9 (Academic Writing Task 1)
IELTS Writing: Five Band 9 Words For Your Next Essay
These Band 9 words were all chosen from the Cambridge English Dictionary. This dictionary is made by Cambridge ESOL, which is responsible for the academic side of the IELTS exam.. Within this dictionary, we can see that all our Band 9 words below are classed as C2 level (CEFR).C2 level broadly equates to Band 8 - 9.
GET IELTS BAND 9 Through Essay Planning
GET IELTS BAND 9 Through Essay Planning - 15 Band 9 Essays With Essay Plan Guide (IELTS Practice) - Kindle edition by Cambridge IELTS Consultants, Swires, Peter. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading GET IELTS BAND 9 Through Essay ...
PDF Academic Ielts Writing Task 1 Preparation Part 2
band scores in the IELTS exam (Bands 7.0-9.0). This IELTS Writing book includes Band 9 Essay Templates, practice exercises, language, and strategy tips for ALL types of IELTS Essay, as well as a FREE Online IELTS Writing Course for highly motivated candidates who wish to maximize their preparation.
(PDF) The Intersection of AI and Language Assessment: A Study on the
This study conducts a comprehensive quantitative evaluation of OpenAI's language model, ChatGPT 4, for grading Task 2 writing of the IELTS exam.
Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Bar Chart
An introduction and overview for an IELTS chart is given below. The introduction is the easiest paragraph to write and the overview is the most important paragraph in your report. Look at the sample paragraphs below for the IELTS chart given and fill in the gaps. This lesson will help you understand introduction and overview content as well as ...
PDF Thematic Collection1 The Intersection of AI and Language ...
The IELTS Writing section, specifically Task 2 (Essay Writing), is a critical component of the assessment. It evaluates test-takers' ability to present ideas, support arguments, and use

IELTS Band 9 Essays

What does an IELTS Band 9 Essay look like?

Task response

Lexical resource

Coherence and Cohesion

Opinion essay

Discussion essay

Problems and solutions essay

Advantages and disadvantages essay

Band 9 Essay Sample (Type 1)

Band 9 Essay Sample 1 (Type 2)

Double Question essay

What about Task 1? What does a Band 9 Task 1 answer look like for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training?

About Christopher Pell

IELTS Band 9 Writing Samples: Task 2 Essays

Sample Essay #1 – Two Part Question

Sample Essay #2 – Discussion And Opinion

Sample Essay #3 – Discussion And Opinion

Sample Essay #4 – Discussion And Opinion

Sample Essay #5 – Opinion Essay

Sample Essay #6 – Opinion Essay

Sample Essay # 7 – Two Part Question

Sample Essay #8 – Problem And Solution

Sample Essay #9 – Discussion And Opinion

Sample Essay #10 – Discussion

Sample Essay #11 – Discussion

IELTS Essay Samples Band 9 PDF

What To Do Next?

Recommended IELTS Study Tools

In A Hurry To Pass IELTS? Then Check Out…

Writing Correction Service

Analysing a Band 9 Sample Answer for IELTS Writing Task 2

Are Band 9 Sample Answers Worthwhile?

A Sample Band 9 Answer

Sample Band 9 Answer

Task Achievement

Coherence and Cohesion

Lexical Resource

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

About The Author

David S. Wills

Related Posts

Improve your Grammar for IELTS

Um… Is Hesitation in IELTS a Bad Thing?

Talking about Buildings

IELTS Reading Overview

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Download my IELTS Books

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Band-9 Samples: Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Brainstorming Phases

Advantage & Disadvantage Ideas

Real-Life Examples To Make Ideas Clearer

Synonyms To Vary Your Language

Advanced Vocabulary

Advanced Phrases & Collocations

Suggested Essay Structures

Structure 1: Neutral

Structure 2: Favoring Positives

Structure 3: Favoring Negatives

Band-9 Sample Essays

Sample 1: Neutral

Sample 2: Neutral

Sample 3: Favoring Positives

Sample 4: Favoring Positives

Sample 5: Favoring Negatives

Sample 6: Favoring Negatives

Related Posts

Band-9 Samples: It is important for people to take risks, both in their professional lives and their personal lives. Do you think the advantages of taking risks outweigh the disadvantages?

Band-9 Samples: Some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. Why is this the case? Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Band-9 Samples: Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Band-9 Samples: In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in. What are the reasons for this? How can people research this?

Plans & Pricing

IELTS Opinion Writing Samples Band 9

IELTS Mentor "IELTS Preparation & Sample Answer"

Nav view search

Band 9 IELTS Essay # 1:

IELTS Materials

Useful Links