IELTS SAMPLE ESSAYS

For most people, when they get their first job they have little idea whether or
not they will remain in the same organisation throughout their working life. If
they decide to change, they need to consider how this will impact on their
career overall.

People who stay with the same organisation have the advantage of
thoroughly understanding how it works and also becoming familiar with the
staff and processes. If they work hard, their promotion prospects are good
and there is likely to be greater job security, with the promise of a good
pension when they retire. Employers value loyalty and may offer additional
incentives to long-term employees, including bonuses and reward schemes.

However, one of the drawbacks of staying with the same organisation is that
the person may get stuck doing the same job year after year. In some cases,
this can lead to boredom and disillusionment. Moving from one organisation to
another can be a strategic decision in order to have variety and acquire a
range of skills and experience. A friend of my father started out as a sociology
teacher, he then joined the Social Services and is currently managing a care
home in Western Australia, This has made him incredibly knowledgeable in a
range of related fields and, in my view, has provided him with a much more
interesting working life.

Although there are benefits to working for one organisation, I feel that it is also
valuable for an employee to be able to offer a wide range of experience
having worked for different companies. As long as it is planned carefully, I feel
that change is good and will ultimately benefit the employee and the employer.
(281 words)
Over the past 50 years, people have become used to the idea that they will
probably live longer than their grandparents did. However, a longer life is only
desirable if you can look after yourself and be independent, otherwise there
can be disadvantages for everyone.

If you walk into a hospital in my country, you are likely to see a lot more
elderly people than you did in the past. In fact, this is causing significant
problems as there is a shortage of beds. Medical treatment is keeping the
elderly alive, but at what cost to others?

On top of this, one of the biggest medical problems these days is dementia.
Even if old people are still fit, they may not be able to look after themselves.
They may have to live with their children or be cared for in a home, which can
be expensive. Elderly people do not like to be a burden, but their children can
feel obliged to care for them.

Obviously, not all old people become ill. Those who remain healthy can enjoy
a happy old age as long as they have saved enough money. People are much
more active in their sixties and seventies than they used to be and this can
only be a good thing. They have time to enjoy their retirement and do a range
of activities that they could not do when they were at work. They can also help
look after their grandchildren, which is a great benefit for working parents.

To sum up, I believe that we should aim to keep people as healthy as possible
so that they can enjoy their old age without having to rely on others. A longer
life expectancy is obviously advantageous, but no one wants to live to be 100
if they only cause problems for their family and society.
(308 words)
Most people would agree that car ownership has increased in recent years
and is causing a range of problems, particularly in built-up areas. I think there
are a number of ways that governments can aim to deal with this.

Many big cities in the world have traffic problems but these problems vary. For
example, it is reasonably easy to drive around my city after 10 am and before
5 pm. However, outside these hours, you have to allow double the usual time
to reach your destination. In some other cities, traffic is congested at all times,
and there is the continual sound of car horns as people try to get wherever
they want to go.

One of the best approaches governments can take in busy cities is to

encourage the use of public transport. This means the transport facilities have
to be well run and people must be able to afford them. Buses, trams and
trains are good ways of getting around, and if they are cheap and reliable,
people will use them.

Another approach is to discourage people from actually entering the city by

building car parks and shopping centres on the outskirts. Many cities around
the world do this quite successfully and offer passengers bus transport into
the centre, if they need it.

At peak travel periods, governments can also run campaigns to encourage

people to be less dependent on their cars. Apparently, a lot of car trips involve
very short journeys to say, the supermarket or local school. These are often
unnecessary, but we automatically get in our cars without thinking.

Clearly we all have a responsibility to look after our cities, Governments can
do a lot to improve the situation and part of what they do should involve
encouraging individuals to consider alternatives to driving.
(299 words)
The growth of the fast food industry has, without doubt, impacted on the
eating habits and the health of many societies around the world. Diabetes,
high cholesterol, heart and respiratory problems are all on the rise due to fatty
and sugar rich food. However, the question is whether higher tax would
improve this situation or not.

From an economic point of view, higher tax might seem sensible. In countries
such as the USA, Australia and Britain the healthcare system spends a large
part of its budget on people with diet-related health problems. It could be
argued that these people have caused their own illnesses because of their
choice of food. In this case, why should they expect the state to pay for their
treatment? The tax could help fund the healthcare system.

However, we also need to consider which socio-economic group consumes

fast food as the main part of their diet. Statistics indicate that lower income
groups eat more of this food than wealthier people. One possible reason for
this is that fast food is far cheaper than fresh produce. This is because many
governments offer large subsidies to farmers who provide products for the fast
food industry, such as corn, wheat and beef. Fruit and vegetables, on the
other hand, are not subsidised. Research suggests that many families simply
cannot afford to buy healthy food or pay higher taxes on fast food. For them,
fast food is not a choice but a necessity.

In conclusion, imposing a higher tax on fast food does not seem to be the
answer. If the government chose to do this, it would only lead to greater
poverty and families facing further hardship.
(278 words)
In recent years, advances in technology have allowed governments, the
police and privately owned companies to keep the public under constant
surveillance. In many major cities and towns, security cameras are recording
the movements of ordinary citizens. Whenever a cellphone is used, the call is
logged, so the service provider knows exactly when and where the user made
the call. Invisible satellites orbit the Earth, watching us whether we like it or
not. Is this, however, a development we should welcome?

Certainly there are benefits. In areas where there is a high crime rate, the use
of security cameras may act as a deterrent to criminals: if they can see a
camera, they may think twice about breaking into a building or stealing a car.
If a crime is carried out, then a camera may provide useful evidence. The
same is true for a cellphone; the police sometimes rely on call logs to help
them trace the whereabouts of suspects or victims.

On the other hand, there are a number of concerns. In countries where

human rights are ignored, the use of security cameras or listening devices
may be harmful to society. People should be able to hold meetings and
express their opinions without their privacy being invaded. There is also a
very different issue we should consider. Nowadays, many people upload
personal information and photographs onto social networking sites: they often
do not realise how easy it is for other people to view this information or for the
site owners to use the data or photographs for their own financial gain.

It seems inevitable that there will be more and more ways to monitor society
in the future. However, it is our responsibility to evaluate new technology and
decide whether it will do more harm than good. Surely our freedom is more
valuable than technological progress?
(307 words)
The pursuit of knowledge is a concept that is valued by most cultures. In the
21st century, we now have many more options regarding how and where to
find that knowledge. If you are a French national, you can apply to do an
economics degree in the USA, and likewise an American citizen can take a
course in linguistics in France. Indeed, most universities across the world now
have a good proportion of foreign students enrolled in their programmes.

Certainly, there are numerous advantages of studying in a different country.

Many students choose to do this because they know that a particular
university, for instance Stanford Business School, has an excellent reputation.
Graduating from here, they believe, will increase their chances of securing a
decent position in a company back home. Students studying abroad also have
the opportunity to form friendships with people of various nationalities: in time,
these may develop into useful professional networks. Furthermore, living far
from family and friends can enable young people to become more
independent and self-sufficient.

Unfortunately, the experience of studying abroad is not always a positive one.

Research suggests that a small percentage of young people struggle to adapt
to their new environment and suffer from severe culture shock. The situation
can become worse if the student is not mature enough to cope by themselves.
Different approaches to teaching and learning may also come as an
unwelcome surprise to some students.

In essence, the key to a good experience at a foreign university is an open

mind. If a student is presented with this opportunity, they should certainly
seize it.
(267 words)
The essay samples here are taken from The Official Cambridge Guide to
IELTS for Academic & General Training by Pauline Cullen, Amanda French
and Vanessa Jakeman.