Health and diet – sample IELTS essay

This is the latest in my series of sample IELTS essays and is based on a recent IELTS question. It
focusses on the common IELTS topic of health and diet which is one of those topics it is sensible
to prepare for. You will find a discussion of how to structure the essay, a download and two
exercises to help you with vocabulary and coherence.

The question
As ever the first step is to consider the question to correctly identify the task:

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

This is a proposal type question where we are asked to give our opinion about whether
improving health education would have a positive effect on people eating too much junk food.
We need to be sure that we adopt a clear position on this issue. The mistake would be simply to
write about junk food and poor diet.

Different approaches to organising the essay

There are three different approaches possible in this type of question. Broadly speaking it is
possible to:

1. agree that it is the best answer

2. disagree that it would be effective
3. accept it but say it would only have a limited effect

If you think that you may run short of ideas, it is typically easier to take approach 2 or 3 as this
gives you the opportunity to write a for/against style essay where discuss why it might not work
and then suggest another alternative. If you decide to agree with the proposal, it is typically
harder to organise your main body paragraphs.

Ideas and essay structure

In this essay I am going to take approach 3 above and organise my essay in this way. You should
note that i am going to focus on giving reasons and examples to support my points which will
help my coherence band score (learn how to pee and become coherent):

topic paragraph 1
health education is important → it addresses a serious cause of unhealthy eating → explain
how health education would help →use an example
topic paragraph 2

health education is not enough → there are other social factors that education would not solve
→ give examples and explain what those factors are

topic paragraph 3

suggest alternative solutions to health education → discuss why they work or may not work

The essay

Sample IELTS essay - health and diet (31)

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

A serious concern nowadays is how our eating habits can affect our health. In particular, it has
been demonstrated that eating too much junk food can lead to health issues later in life. One
sensible suggestion for dealing with this is to improve the level of health education so that we
eat better and live longer.

One reason why focussing on health education is an appropriate measure is that it addresses
one underlying cause of the problem. It is clear that there is a connection between what people
know about nutrition and their eating habits. For example, children who have learned in school
about the need to have a varied diet with plenty of vitamins tend to eat more healthily. In
contrast, people who have not had this education still eat too much junk food and as a result
suffer from diabetes and other diseases.

Better health education, however, is not a complete answer as it ignores the wider social
factors that cause people to eat unhealthily. For instance, many people eat fast food because
they have a lifestyle that means they do not have time to sit down to a proper meal. Again,
other people might eat burgers and pizzas because they are seen to be cool and they want to
impress their peers.

There would not appear to be any simple way to deal with these social factors.  A difficulty is
that it is very hard for governments to make a difference to the individual choices people make.
It might help, however, to ban advertisements for unhealthy foods on television and to require
companies to provide proper meal facilities for their employees.

My conclusion is that the government certainly ought to introduce measures to improve the
level of health education. However, this probably would not be a  perfect solution as it would
also be necessary to deal with the other social factors that cause unhealthy eating.
Understanding the question

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

This is a proposal type question where you are given a proposed solution to a problem and
asked whether you agree with it or not. It is important to make sure that you write about the
proposed solution and you do not just talk about the problem. One sensible approach in this
type of essay is to look at both sides of the argument and then give your opinion. You can also
provide your own alternative solution as I do here.

Vocabulary issues

Before you start writing I suggest  in the planning process you try and think of alternatives for
words in the question. Normally it is much easier to do this before you start writing than as you
are writing.

Problem

This is one of those essays where you are asked to talk about a problem. The word is given to
you in the question so you need to be careful about repeating it too much. In this essay, I do
repeat it, but I also use different collocations as well as the close synonym “issue”.

 a global problem
 not an easy issue
 a moral issue
 solve the problems
 caused as many problems as it solves

Refugees

This is another word given in the question that you want to try and avoid overusing. Some of
the variants I use are:

 immigrant
 immigration/mass immigration
 economic migrants
 emigration
Developing countries etc

This is a tough one.  You are going to need to talk about developing nations and countries in
general a lot. Again you want to try and look for some alternatives. The one I don’t use is “third
world” as it is slightly politically incorrect nowadays. Try some of these:

 developing nations
 industrialised countries/nations
 native land
 country of their birth

Ideas and essay structure

If you plan your vocab well, you should come up with plenty of ideas for this essay. The
problem is more likely to be what to leave out than to put in. My essay structure looks
something like this

Introduction: rephrase the problem and mention the proposed solution. The state that it is an
argument with two sides to lead into a pro/con type essay

Content 1: Arguments in favour of accepting refugees = moral responsibility/global

village/economic self-interest. Use brief example of natural disasters

Content 2: Problems caused by immigration – prejudice and racism etc. Mention possibility of
aid in own countries

Conclusion: Yes and no! Up to a point it’s a good idea but there are difficulties (refer back to
introduction). Suggest alternative of aid (refer back to content 2). Easy.
The essay

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

There is little doubt that the issue of refugees is a global problem. While it most immediately
affects developing nations, there is a strong argument that industrialised countries should help
by allowing higher levels of immigration. This is certainly not an easy issue though, because
historically has immigration caused as many problems as it solves.

The principal reason why developed nations should help is that we now live in a global village
and it is no longer possible to ignore what happens on the other side of the world. This is partly
a moral issue and partly because it is in the economic self-interest of industrialised nations to
ensure that developing nations continue to progress. A practical way of achieving this would be
to accept more immigration, particularly when it is caused by natural disasters or civil war.

I would argue, however, that this is not an open and shut case, as there is a negative side to
mass immigration. The multi-cultural experiments in Europe have not always succeeded and
immigrants have often suffered badly from racism and other prejudices. On a practical level,
refugees are sometimes better off receiving aid in their native land than begging on the streets
in a country where they cannot speak the language. Many so-called economic migrants end up
returning to the country of their birth.

My personal conclusion is that developed nations should agree to take in more refugees, but
only in restricted numbers and in extreme cases. I also believe that there needs to a global
effort to provide aid to solve the problems that cause emigration. Prevention is as they say
better than cure.
Sample IELTS essay – Newspapers and books

This is the latest in my series of IELTS essays tutorials. You can read and download the essay
and learn how to approach the essay and deal with some tricky vocabulary.

Looking at the question

Newspapers and books are outdated. Why do some people believe this? What is your opinion?

This is a double question. Whatever else you do, make sure you answer both halves of the
question by giving your own opinion and explaining why other people believe this.

Essay structure

There are different ways to structure this essay. The way I have chosen is to write one
paragraph about newspapers and one about books and then use a slightly longer conclusion
than usual for my own views. In this form of essay, one natural technique is to use the
conclusion in this way.

1. intro: modern technology partly to blame

2. newspapers: problem that they are yesterday’s news
3. books: problem that they are not instant gratification
4. conclusion: books and newspapers are not redundant but may need to change in the
modern world

Another option would be to use one topic paragraph for “advantages” of books and
newspapers and one for their “disadvantages”.

The vocabulary

Topic vocabulary

You need vocabulary to talk about books and newspapers and other media. There is a great
range to choose from here. Some of the topic vocabulary I use in this essay is:

 great novels
 use Google or another search engine
 switch on the television
 the latest news bulletin
 read for pleasure
 enjoying a 3D movie
 in turning the pages of a book
Outdated and opinion vocabulary

If at all possible you do not want to repeat the vocabulary from the question too much. Here
are some options for you for “opinion” and “outdated”.

 people take this view

 are said to be
 My own view is
 become redundant
 out of date
 out of fashion

The essay

Newspapers and books are outdated. Why do some people believe this? What is your
opinion?

As we move into the twenty- first century an increasing number of people are relying on new
forms of technology. A possible consequence of this is that traditional media such as books and
newspapers are not just less popular are considered by some to be outdated.

The principal reason why some people take this view is fairly clear in the case of newspapers. It
is generally much easier and quicker to discover what is happening in the world from the
internet or the television than from a newspaper. If you use Google or another search engine or
simply switch on the television, you can instantly get the latest news bulletin. A newspaper, by
contrast, is out of date the moment it is published because it contains yesterday’s news.

It is perhaps less obvious why books are said to be out of fashion. One possibility is that fewer
people choose to read for pleasure nowadays because they prefer the instant gratification and
thrills of modern technology. There is less effort involved in enjoying a 3D movie or playing a
computer game than in turning the pages of a book.

My own view and conclusion is that books and newspapers will never go completely out of
fashion or become redundant. The reason for this is that they serve basic human needs. I
believe that people will always want to read about the news and escape into the imaginary
worlds of great novels. However, books and newspapers may need to change to meet the new
demands of twenty-first century consumers. We can already see this happening with the arrival
of the audio-book and the various free newspaper internet sites. (292 words)
The essay

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

Most people would accept that one of the highest priorities today is to find a solution to the
various environmental problems facing mankind. It has been suggested that best way to
achieve this is for governments to raise the price of fuel. I am, however, not sure that this is
necessarily the case.

One reason why this approach may not work is that there is not just one environmental
problem the world faces today. If governments did make fuel more expensive, it might well
help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we produce and so slow down the rate of global
warming and air pollution. However, it would not help with other major problems such as
intensive farming, overpopulation, the hole in the ozone layer or water pollution. For these
problems we need to find other solutions.

A second reason why this policy may not be the most appropriate is that it places the emphasis
on governmental policy and not individual responsibility. Ultimately, most environmental
problems are the result of the way we as individuals live our lives. If we wish to find a long-term
and lasting solution to them, we need to learn to live in a way that it is greener or kinder to the
environment. What governments need to do to make this happen is to ensure there is a global
programme to educate people of all ages about the environmental consequences to their
actions.

In summary, I believe that increasing the level of taxation on fuel is at best a short-term
solution to only one environmental problem. If we wish to provide a home for our children’s
children, education is likely to be the key to making this happen. (283 words)
The essay

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

Most people would accept that one of the highest priorities today is to find a solution to the
various environmental problems facing mankind. It has been suggested that best way to
achieve this is for governments to raise the price of fuel. I am, however, not sure that this is
necessarily the case.

One reason why this approach may not work is that there is not just one environmental
problem the world faces today. If governments did make fuel more expensive, it might well
help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we produce and so slow down the rate of global
warming and air pollution. However, it would not help with other major problems such as
intensive farming, overpopulation, the hole in the ozone layer or water pollution. For these
problems we need to find other solutions.

A second reason why this policy may not be the most appropriate is that it places the emphasis
on governmental policy and not individual responsibility. Ultimately, most environmental
problems are the result of the way we as individuals live our lives. If we wish to find a long-term
and lasting solution to them, we need to learn to live in a way that it is greener or kinder to the
environment. What governments need to do to make this happen is to ensure there is a global
programme to educate people of all ages about the environmental consequences to their
actions.

In summary, I believe that increasing the level of taxation on fuel is at best a short-term
solution to only one environmental problem. If we wish to provide a home for our children’s
children, education is likely to be the key to making this happen. (283 words)
Should museums and art galleries be free of charge for the general public, or should a charge,
even a voluntary charge, be levied for admittance? Discuss this issue, and give your opinion.

One very complex issue in today’s world is the funding of museums and art galleries. While
there is an argument that they should be free to the general public and funded by
governments, I also believe that there is also a case for saying that they should charge an
entrance fee like other attractions.
Those who argue that museums should be free typically make one of two arguments. The first
argument is that institutions like museums are a public service and therefore there should be
free access to the man in the street. If for example there was a charge only the wealthy could
afford to enjoy works of art. The second, and related, argument is that if they did levy a charge
fewer people would go to museums. This would be serious as they are educational institutions
and standards would fall.
In contrast, there is only one major argument on the other side of the debate. This is that both
museums and art galleries need to charge an entrance fee if they are to survive in the modern
world. Governments do not have sufficient funds to subsidise all such institutions and there are
other priorities for public money. Therefore these galleries and museums need to charge their
customers not only to survive but to update their exhibitions and make new purchases. By way
of illustration, the Tate Modern in London could not have been founded without revenue from
admissions.
My personal position is that there is no clear answer to this question as there are such strong
arguments on both sides. Perhaps it is possible for some museums and galleries to charge fees
and for others not to. It will depend on the situation of the individual museum or gallery.

Learn to write this essay

Some of the most important vocabulary for IELTS essays comes from the Academic Word List. I
suggest you try this exercise that shows you the words in this essay from the Academic Word
List
Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What
are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?

It is unquestionable that rising unemployment is one of the most pressing issues in the
industrial world. One solution that has been put forward is to cut the working week to a
maximum of 35 hours. However, in my view this solution is rather controversial and other
solutions need to be found.
It is fairly easy to understand the reasons why this proposal has been made. The reasoning is
that if workers are not allowed to work for more than 35 hours weekly, then employers will be
forced to engage more staff. There would be at least two advantages to this. Not only would
unemployment be reduced, but the working conditions of employees on very long shifts would
also be significantly improved. For example, a factory employing 300 manual workers doing 10
hours a day might employ 450 workers.
There is also, however, a strong argument not to implement this proposal. This argument is
based on economic competitiveness. If a company was forced to employ more workers to
produce the same amount of goods, then its wage bill would rise and its products might
become more expensive and less competitive compared to companies with longer working
weeks. In this case, it is possible that the company either might become insolvent or it would
have to make some employees redundant. As a result, the intended benefit to the personnel
would not happen.
In summary, we can see that this is clearly a complex issue as there are significant advantages
and disadvantages to the proposal. My own personal view is that it would be better not to
introduce the shortened working week because it works only in theory and not in practice.
This is one of my series of sample essays: the commentary is to be found here under essay
coherence.
Subjects such as Art, Sport and Music are being dropped from the school curriculum for
subjects such as Information Technology. Many people children suffer as a result of these
changes. To what extent would you support or reject the idea of moving these subjects from
school curriculum?

In recent times there has much debate about which subjects should be included on the school
curriculum. One particular issue is whether the introduction of more modern subjects such as IT
for more traditional subjects such as art and music disadvantages the pupils. I believe that this
is a difficult question and different solutions need to be found for primary and secondary
schools.

There is one major argument in favour of replacing art, music and sport on the curriculum with
subjects like IT. This is that the purpose of school is to prepare children for their working life
after school, so the subjects on the curriculum should be relevant to their potential careers.
From this point of view, IT is much relevant to schoolchildren as they need to be computer
literate if they want to survive in the workplace. For example, it is easy to see that word
processing and programming skills will impress employers more than the ability to run fast or
draw well.

There are also, however, strong arguments for retaining the more traditional subjects as part of
the curriculum. One significant counter-argument is that the purpose of education is not just to
prepare children for later careers, but also to develop their all round “culture”. It is important
that children leave school with some knowledge of art, music and sport as all these are all help
develop aspects of young people’s personalities.

My own personal point of view is that there is merit in both sides of the debate and that all
children should study some IT, art music and sport at least at primary school. At secondary
school, however, children should be offered a choice between these subjects so that they can
continue to study them if they wish.
Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent
would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development
of your society?

It is unarguable that television has had a considerable impact and changed the world in which
we live. However, there is debate whether that change has been for the better or the worse,
when we consider cultural development. While there are certainly strong feelings on both sides
of the argument in western Europe, my own view is that television has had a largely positive
influence on our society.

There are, however, several reasons why it can be argued that television has a negative effect
on cultural development. Perhaps the principle argument is the lowbrow nature of many
programmes, particularly sitcoms and soap operas. People who watch these programmes do
not learn anything, they are simply entertained. The other major argument is that because
people watch so much television, they no longer take part in more traditional forms of cultural
entertainment. An example here is how traditional dancing and music is becoming much less
popular because people are staying at home to watch the television.

On the other hand, there are a variety of ways in which cultural development has been assisted
by television. Here the major argument is that television has allowed the whole of society
access to cultural entertainment. For example, in the nineteenth century only a small
proportion of people could go to the ballet or the theatre. However, it is now possible for
everyone to enjoy these on television. A second positive effect is that on television we can learn
more about other cultures and societies because there are so many interesting documentaries
about other countries.

My personal conclusion is that television is a largely positive influence. However, it is important

that we do not watch it too much and that we watch the right sort of programme. If we watch
the wrong sort of programme and watch too much television, we may become couch potatoes.