IELTS agree or disagree essay - band 9 guide

This is a band 9 guide to writing agree/disagree essays in IELTS Writing. Agree or disagree
essay questions are very common for IELTS Writing task 2. This type of questions asks you
to say whether you agree or disagree with a given statement and justify your opinion.

In this lesson you will see IELTS writing task 2 sample question + model answer and learn

how to choose an opinion for agree/disagree question

how to generate ideas
how to give a band 9 answer for agree/disagree question

IELTS agree/disagree question sample

Lets look at an example of IELTS writing task 2:

Big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Provide relevant examples if necessary.

This is a classic example of agree or disagree question that you may get on IELTS Writing task
2.

Choose your opinion & generate ideas

Agree or disagree question asks you to clearly determine whether you agree or disagree
with the statement. Unlike questions that ask you to what extent do you agree or disagree, this
question asks you to have a super-clear opinion. After youve decided your opinion, generate
2-3 supporting points for it.

For the task above you have two possible options:

 1. You fully agree that big salary is more important than job satisfaction
2. You completely disagree that big salary is more important than job satisfaction

Now lets generate supporting points for each of the opinions:

Big salary is more important

o Having a job with a high salary makes people feel satisfied no matter what kind
of job they do
o Money is essential for survival and good living

Job satisfaction is more important

o Job satisfaction gives you a sense of fulfillment
o Doing what you like keeps you motivated and therefore leads to a career growth
o Money cant buy happiness and its more pleasant to pursue what youre
interested in

For our essay, well choose the second opinion.

Band 9 answer structure

After youve decided whether you agree or disagree and generated your supporting points, its
time to start writing your essay.

There are a lot of ways to structure your essay, but well use a structure that has been approved
by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent.

Band-9 essay structure:

1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph 1 - the 1st reason you agree/disagree
3. Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd reason you agree/disagree
4. Conclusion

Lets take a look at each of these sections in detail.

Introduction

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use it is argued/considered/thought

that to start):

It is often argued that it is more advantageous to choose a job with high wage, even if
it doesn't appeal to you at all.

Sentence 2 - say whether you agree or disagree with it and extend your opinion:

I completely disagree with this opinion and think that job satisfaction is much more
important than salary.

Body paragraph 1 - the 1st reason you agree/disagree

Sentence 1 - state the first reason you agree/disagree.

This sentence should contain the main idea of the whole 1st paragraph. Use words
firstly or first of all to introduce the first reason. In our case well use the reason that
job satisfaction gives you a sense of fulfillment:

First of all, I believe that job satisfaction gives people a sense of fulfillment that no
money can guarantee.

Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason.

To explain the reason effectively, you can imagine that your examiner has no
knowledge of this subject at all and you have to explain every detail:

Even if someone is earning a high salary, but feels tensed and compromises with his
conscience, this person wont enjoy his life. While pursuing ones interests will always
bring pleasure and feeling of satisfaction.

Sentence 4 - example.

Its always good to give examples in your body paragraphs, even if youre not asked to
do it. In our case, the task asks you to provide relevant examples:

For example, a lot of famous researchers made their career choices not because of
appealing wages, but because they were passionate about science.

Sentence 5 - a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph:

Thats why its more important to choose the kind of work that makes you happy than
to look only at a high salary.
Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd reason you agree/disagree

Sentence 1 - state the second reason you agree/disagree.

This statement should contain the main idea of the whole 2nd paragraph. Use words
secondly or moreover to introduce the second reason:

Secondly, doing what you like keeps you motivated and therefore leads to a career
growth.

Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason (assume that your examiner doesnt understand the
topic at all):

In other words, there is a strong relation between job satisfaction and productivity.
People who love their jobs can easily excel in their fields of work and achieve better
results than those, who put salary on the first place.

Sentence 4 - support your idea with an example:

For instance, Henry Miller decided to leave his everyday job despite a good wage and
ventured to become a writer. And after enduring years of ups and downs he became one
of the most famous and well-paid authors of the twentieth century.

Sentence 5 - a short summary of your thoughts in the 2nd paragraph.

Thus, advantages of jobs that keep you satisfied outweigh the drawback of a low salary
in a long-term perspective.

Conclusion

You can write the conclusion in one sentence that summarizes your opinion + 2 reasons for
it:

To conclude, I strongly believe that job satisfaction is more beneficial than high salary because
it makes people happy and motivated.

DO NOT write new ideas in the conclusion!

IELTS agree/disagree model answer

This is a full band-9 answer for IELTS agree or disagree question above:
It is often argued that it is more advantageous to choose a job with high wage, even if it doesn't
appeal to you at all. I completely disagree with this opinion and think that job satisfaction is
much more important than salary.

First of all, I believe that job satisfaction gives people a sense of fulfillment that no money can
guarantee. Even if someone is earning a high salary, but feels tensed and compromises with his
conscience, this person wont enjoy his life. While pursuing ones interests will always bring
pleasure and feeling of satisfaction. For example, a lot of famous researchers made their career
choices not because of appealing wages, but because they were passionate about science. Thats
why its more important to choose the kind of work that makes you happy than to look only at
a high salary.

Secondly, doing what you like keeps you motivated and therefore leads to a career growth. In
other words, there is a strong relation between job satisfaction and productivity. People who
love their jobs can easily excel in their fields of work and achieve better results than those, who
put salary on the first place. For instance, Henry Miller decided to leave his everyday job
despite a good wage and ventured to become a writer. And after enduring years of ups and
downs he became one of the most famous and well-paid authors of the twentieth century. Thus,
advantages of jobs that keep you satisfied outweigh the drawback of a low salary in a long-
term perspective.

To conclude, I strongly believe that job satisfaction is more beneficial than high salary because
it makes people happy and motivated.

To what extent you agree or disagree essay

This lesson will guide you how to write essays in IELTS Writing that ask you to what extent
you agree/disagree. Such questions are very common for IELTS Writing task 2. In such
essays your task is to say whether you:

completely agree with a given statement

completely disagree with a given statement
partly agree / disagree

and justify your opinion.

In this lesson you will see IELTS writing task 2 sample question + model answer. Also, you
will learn the following points:

how to decide on your opinion

how to generate ideas to justify your opinion
how to give a band 9 answer for agree/disagree question
To what extent you agree/disagree question sample

Lets look at an example of IELTS writing task 2:

The government's investment in arts, music and theatre is a waste of money. Governments
should invest these funds in public services instead.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

This is a classic example of an IELTS Writing question that asks you to what extent you agree or
disagree.

Choose your opinion & generate ideas

Unlike classic agree/disagree questions, to what extent you agree or disagree questions do
NOT ask you to clearly determine whether you agree or disagree with the given statement.

In fact, you have 3 major options for your opinion:

AA: You completely agree (provide 2 ideas that strengthen the statement)
DD: You completely disagree (provide 2 ideas that weaken the statement)
AD: You agree or disagree partly (provide 1 idea that strengthens the statement and 1 idea
that weakens it)

After youve decided your opinion, generate 2-3 supporting points for it.

Now lets generate supporting points for each of the opinions:

AA: Investment in arts, music and theatre is a waste of money

o Art, music and theatre dont help to solve urgent problems of the society
o Art and music can develop as hobbies, and saved money can be directed towards
urgent needs of the society
 o If artists and musicians were employed at more traditional jobs, there would be a
great benefit for science and industry

DD: Investment in arts, music and theatre is NOT a waste of money

The arts and music preserve unique culture and heritage, passing nations cultural character
and traditions to future generations
Arts, music and theatre are an integral part of the societys cultural and intellectual
development and amusement
A strong arts, music and theatre sector is an economic asset that creates new jobs and attracts
tourism revenue

AD: Investment in arts is important, but public services should be financed in the first
place

For this opinion, just combine ideas from the previous points.

For our essay, well choose the last opinion - partially agree / disagree (AD).

Band 9 answer structure

There are a lot of ways to structure your essay, but well use a structure that has been approved
by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent.
Band-9 essay structure:

1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph 1 - the 1st supporting point
3. Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd supporting point
4. Conclusion

As you already know, you can write the supporting points of your body paragraphs in the
following ways: agree + agree, disagree + disagree, agree + disagree. Well use the last option
as our opinion is partially agree / disagree.

Lets take a look at each of these sections in detail.

Introduction
Write your introduction in two sentences:

Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use it is argued/considered/thought that to

start):

It is often argued that the government should finance public services instead of spending its
budget on arts, music and theatre.

Sentence 2 - give your opinion:

Although I agree that governments investments in public services play a very important role,
I think that proper funding of arts sector is also crucial for the society.

Body paragraph 1 - the 1st supporting point

Sentence 1 - state the first reason you agree/disagree.

This sentence should contain the main idea of the whole 1st paragraph. In our case well use
the reason A: why it is important to finance public services. As well be considering opposite
opinions, it is a good idea to use a collocation on the one hand to introduce the first reason:

On the one hand, the government should definitely allocate a large part of its budget on public
services.

Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason.

To explain the reason effectively, you can imagine that your examiner didnt understand what
you were talking about and you have to explain every detail:

This economic sector determines the overall quality of life, ensuring that some basic services,
like schools, hospitals and roads, are available to all citizens irrespective of their income or
social status. Public services satisfy the primary needs of the society and thus need a proper
funding, while artists and musicians are not curing diseases or building houses, so their role is
secondary.

Sentence 4 - example.

Its always good to give examples in your body paragraphs, even if youre not asked to do it
(like in our case):

For example, any country can live without music concerts, but absence of medicine will create
significant problems.

Sentence 5 - a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph:

Thats why the government should adequately finance public services in the first place.

Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd reason you agree/disagree

Sentence 1 - state the second reason you agree/disagree.

This statement should contain the main idea of the whole 2nd paragraph. This time well use
the reason D: why it is important to finance public services. As we are considering opposite
opinions, it is a good idea to use a phrase on the other hand to introduce the second reason:
On the other hand, arts, music and theatre are not a waste of money, since they are an integral
part of the societys cultural and intellectual development and amusement.

Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason (assume that your examiner doesnt understand the topic
at all):

Firstly, art and music draw peoples attention to diverse phenomena and represent the inward
significance of things. Quite often a single drawing, piece or song can exhort myriads of people
to reconsider their attitude towards some situation. This way, art serves as a major source of
nations personal and intellectual development. Moreover, visiting museums, watching movies
and listening to music are common ways of relaxation and entertainment.

Sentence 4 - support your idea with an example:

The question doesnt ask us to give examples, plus weve already written a lot in this paragraph,
so well skip this point.

Sentence 5 - a short summary of your thoughts in the 2nd paragraph.

Thus, art sector is also important for the society and should not be neglected.

Conclusion

You can write the conclusion in one sentence that summarizes your opinion + 2 reasons for
it:

To conclude, though I agree that the government should allocate a large part of its budget on
such urgent needs of the society like public services, I think that arts, music and theatre should
also be financed since they play an important role in peoples development and entertainment.

DO NOT write new ideas in the conclusion!

Model answer

This is a full band-9 answer for to what extent you agree or disagree IELTS Writing question
above:

It is often argued that the government should finance public services instead of spending its
budget on arts, music and theatre. Although I agree that governments investments in public
services play a very important role, I think that proper funding of arts sector is also crucial for
the society.

On the one hand, the government should definitely allocate a large part of its budget on public
services. This economic sector determines the overall quality of life, ensuring that some basic
services, like schools, hospitals and roads, are available to all citizens irrespective of their
income or social status. Public services satisfy the primary needs of the society and thus need
a proper funding, while artists and musicians are not curing diseases or building houses, so
their role is secondary. For example, any country can live without music concerts, but absence
of medicine will create significant problems. Thats why the government should adequately
finance public services in the first place.

On the other hand, arts, music and theatre are not a waste of money, since they are an integral
part of the societys cultural and intellectual development and amusement. Firstly, art and
music draw peoples attention to diverse phenomena and represent the inward significance of
things. Quite often a single drawing, piece or song can exhort myriads of people to reconsider
their attitude towards some situation. This way, art serves as a major source of nations personal
and intellectual development. Moreover, visiting museums, watching movies and listening to
music are common ways of relaxation and entertainment. Thus, art sector is also important for
the society and should not be neglected.

To conclude, though I agree that the government should allocate a large part of its budget on
such urgent needs of the society like public services, I think that arts, music and theatre should
also be financed since they play an important role in peoples development and entertainment.

IELTS causes and solutions essay - band 9

guide
In this lesson you will learn how to write a high-scoring causes & solutions essay in IELTS
Writing. As an example, the model essay will be about loss of bio-diversity. Basically, causes
& solutions essay is one of the most common question types in IELTS writing task 2. This
question asks you to describe causes and propose solutions for a given problem.

In this lesson you will see:

question sample + model answer

band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay
effective strategies to produce ideas for your answer

IELTS problems & solutions question sample

For example, this is the question youve got for IELTS writing task 2:

Influence of human beings on the world's ecosystem is leading to the extinction of species and
loss of bio-diversity.
What are the primary causes of loss of bio-diversity?

What solutions can you suggest?

Of course, the topics for causes & solutions essay may vary, but the answering strategy is
pretty much the same for all essays of causes/solutions type.

Producing ideas

As you know, its recommended to spend about 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2. But
before starting to write your essay, its a good idea to dedicate 2-4 minutes to producing some
ideas for your essay. This way youll know what to write about and your essay will be more
structured.

To produce ideas for causes and solutions essay, you have to determine 3 things:

Problem
Causes of this problem
Solutions to this problem

The problem is already given: loss of bio-diversity (in other words, some animals and plants
are dying out).

Now lets think about its causes and solutions. Dont be afraid of simple ideas! Remember:
getting a high score means writing simple things well. Here are some ideas that may come to
your mind:

Causes:
 change of the natural habitats

When humans artificially transform the environment (build roads, houses etc.), they
destroy animals natural habitat.

pollution

Pollution negatively changes the flow of energy, the chemical constitution of the
environment and the climate in general, so a lot of species cannot live under such
conditions and die out.

overexploitation of resources

When the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are too
intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. Example: too intense
farming exhausts the soil; too frequent fishing, which doesnt leave enough time for
fish to reproduce, makes fish disappear.

After youve though of the possible causes, you can use them in your writing. You can invent
more reasons of this problem, but usually, its enough to give 1-2 causes in your writing.

Possible solutions:

protect areas
 Protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of
resources are the best ways to save the environment and prevent species from dying
out.

promote awareness

Informing the general population about the disadvantages of loss of biodiversity will
encourage people to be more conscious of the environment.

1-2 solutions are enough for a good essay. Now, after weve collected some ideas, its time to
structure our thoughts into an essay.

Band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay

There may be many possible answering strategies, but well use this good and time-tested essay
structure:

1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph 1 causes
3. Body paragraph 2 solutions
4. Conclusion

Introduction

Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

o Sentence 1 - paraphrase the question (restate the problem):

Despite knowing about biodiversitys importance for a long time, human activity has
been causing massive extinctions of different species.

o Sentence 2 - tell the examiner what youre going to describe in your essay:

This essay will examine the main causes of loss of biodiversity and possible solutions
of this problem.

Body paragraph 1 - causes

o Sentence 1 - state 2 main causes:

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and
overexploitation of natural resources.

o Sentences 2-4 - explain the first cause + give an example:

 When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation and
animals natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the
trees and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species
are dying out.

o Sentences 5-7 - explain the second cause + give an example:

Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource
are too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too
frequent fishing doesnt leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them
disappear.

o The last sentence - give a short summary (if needed)

In other words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of
bio-diversity.

Body paragraph 2 - solutions

o Sentence 1 - give 1-2 possible solutions

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting
awareness among people.

o Sentences 2-4 - explain how each of the solutions solves the problem (you may give an
example if you wish)

By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding overexploitation of

its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species from dying
out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general
population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious
of the environment and wont overuse or destroy its resources.

Conclusion

o Sentence 1 - restate the causes of the problem

To conclude, peoples activities that change the environment have negative impact on
the world's ecosystem.

o Sentence 2 - remind the reader of possible solutions

However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting natural

areas and enlightening people as to this problem.
Model essay for IELTS Writing causes/solutions question

The model band-9 essay for this question will look as follows:

Despite knowing about biodiversitys importance for a long time, human activity has been
causing massive extinctions of different species. This essay will examine the main causes of
loss of biodiversity and possible solutions of this problem.

The two main causes of species extinction are change of their habitats and overexploitation of
natural resources. When humans artificially transform the environment, they destroy vegetation
and animals natural habitat. For instance, to build new roads people are cutting down the trees
and cementing the soil, altering the environment. Because of that, a lot of species are dying
out. Also, when the activities connected with capturing and harvesting a natural resource are
too intense in a particular area, the resource becomes exhausted. For example, too frequent
fishing doesnt leave enough time for fish to reproduce and makes them disappear. In other
words, human activities often deplete local flora and fauna and cause loss of bio-diversity.

Some possible solutions to this problem are protecting natural areas and promoting awareness
among people. By protecting areas where human activity is limited and avoiding
overexploitation of its resources, we can save the untouched environment and prevent species
from dying out. Moreover, the next step in fighting bio-diversity loss is informing the general
population about the dangers of this problem. This way, people will be more conscious of the
environment and wont overuse or destroy its resources.

To conclude, peoples activities that change the environment have negative impact on the
world's ecosystem. However, we can significantly lessen the extinction of species by protecting
natural areas and enlightening people as to this problem.

(263 words)

How to write cause/effect essays in IELTS?

Cause and effect essay questions in IELTS Writing task 2 give you a problem and ask you
to state the main causes of this problem and discuss its possible effects.

In this lesson you will see:

how to generate ideas for causes and effects

band 9 answer structure for causes/effects essay
cause/effect model essay

This is an example of cause/effect IELTS writing task 2 question:

Today more people are overweight than ever before.

What in your opinion are the primary causes of this?

What measures can be taken to overcome this epidemic?

Generating ideas

After youve read the question, you can clearly determine the problem: growing number of
overweight people.

But before you start to write your essay, its a good idea to think of 2-3 causes and 2-3 possible
effects of the problem.

Causes of obesity:

1. inactive lifestyle (relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work,
inactive leisure activities)
2. unhealthy eating habits (eating fast-food, drinking high-calorie beverages, consuming
large portions of food, eating irregularly)

Effects of obesity:
 1. physical health problems
2. loss of productivity
3. depressions and mental disorders

Now, after weve generated the main ideas for causes and effects, its time to use these ideas
in our essay.

Band 9 answer structure

As you know, there are many ways to structure your essay, but well use a structure that has
been approved by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent.

Band-9 essay structure:

Introduction
Body paragraph 1 - causes
Body paragraph 2 - effects
Conclusion

Lets take a look at each of these sections in detail.

Introduction

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use nowadays/today/these days to

start):

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly growing.

Sentence 2 - say what youll write about in your essay:

This essay will discuss the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible
effects of the problem.

Body paragraph 1 - causes

Sentence 1 - state all the main causes of obesity:

In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating
habits.

Sentences 2-3 - describe the first cause. Assume that your examiner has no knowledge
in this area and you have to explain all the details to him.
 Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical
demands at work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less
calories and gaining weight.

Sentences 4-5 - describe the second cause. Dont forget that its useful to give examples
while describing causes!

Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat
irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50%
of the adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

Body paragraph 2 - effects

Sentence 1 - state all the possible effects:

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of
productivity.

Sentences 2-3 - explain the first effect and give an example:

First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes
to the risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage
increases, the persons metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or
heart diseases.

Sentences 4-6 - explain the second effect and support it with an example:

Secondly, overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and
tiredness. This lessens their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For
example, it has been proven that an obese person needs to put more effort to complete
some task than a person with normal weight.

Conclusion

For the conclusion you need simply to restate the problem and sum up the causes and effects
that you described in your body paragraphs:

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. Its mainly caused
by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of
productivity.

Model essay

Nowadays the number of overweight people is constantly increasing. This essay will discuss
the main reasons of this epidemic and then describe the possible effects of the problem.
In my opinion, the foremost causes of obesity are inactive lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits.
Today more and more people rely on cars instead of walking, have less physical demands at
work and prefer inactive leisure activities. This results in burning less calories and gaining
weight. Moreover, the problem is accentuated by the growing number of people, who eat
irregularly and consume large portions of high-calorie food. For example, about 50% of the
adult population in Europe with so-called disordered eating suffer from obesity.

The possible effects of this problem include physical health problems and loss of productivity.
First of all, obesity results in incorrect functioning of the human body and contributes to the
risk of developing some chronic illnesses. For example, as body fat percentage increases, the
persons metabolism worsens, which in turn may result in diabetes or heart diseases. Secondly,
overweight people are very unhealthy and often suffer from stress and tiredness. This lessens
their work capacity and results in lower productivity. For example, it has been proven that an
obese person needs to put more effort to complete some task than a person with normal weight.

To sum up, obesity is a big problem that affects a lot of people nowadays. Its mainly caused
by inactive lifestyle and eating disorders and results in severe health problems and loss of
productivity.

(251 words)

IELTS Writing: problem and solution essay

In this lesson youll learn how to answer problems/solutions questions in IELTS Writing.
This type of questions gives you an issue and asks you to describe some common problems
associated with it and propose some possible solutions.

In this lesson you will:

See problem-solution question sample

Learn how to generate ideas
Learn band 9 answering strategies
See full band 9 answer

Question sample

This is an example of problem-solution question in IELTS Writing:

Despite a large number of gyms, a sedentary lifestyle is gaining popularity in the contemporary
world.

What problems are associated with this?

What solutions can you suggest?

How to answer the question?

Before starting to write your answer, you should think of 1-2 problems and 1-2 solutions, so
you know what to write about. In our case:

Problems associated with sedentary lifestyle:

obesity
problems with backbone (osteoporosis, scoliosis)

Solutions:

promote walking and cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport
promote visiting gyms and doing exercises

Now, after weve generated some ideas for our essay, its time to use them in our writing.

Remember: its not enough to simply state these facts, you should also extend the ideas in
your writing.

Band 9 answer structure

Although there are many possible ways to structure your essay, well use this band 9 answer
structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners:

Band-9 essay structure:

Introduction
Body paragraph 1 - problems
Body paragraph 2 - effects
Conclusion
Lets take a look at each of these sections in detail:

Introduction
Write your introduction in two sentences:

Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement (you can use nowadays/today/these days to start):

These days a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more popular despite a big
number of sport facilities.

Sentence 2 - say what youll write about in your essay:

This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this epidemic and propose
some possible solutions to avoid them.

Body paragraph 1- problems

Sentence 1 - summarise the main problems of inactive lifestyle:

The main problems caused by inactive lifestyle are obesity and various spine disorders.

Sentences 2-3 - state and explain the first problem (you can also give an example). Its very
important to expand your opinion! Imagine that your examiner doesnt know this subject at
all and you have to explain everything in detail:

A growing number of body research shows that long periods of physical inactivity raise
a risk of becoming overweight. This is because people burn fewer calories and easily
gain weight.

Sentences 4-5 - describe the second problem (as usual, expand your opinion). You can give an
example and use linking words moreover, whats more or also to start:

Whats more, a lot of studies show that so-called sitting disease often results in posture
and backbone problems. Due to constant sitting, person loses muscle tissue and curves
spine, developing numerous spinal diseases. For example, it has been proven that about
80% of people experience backache at least once a week.

Body paragraph 2 - solutions

Sentence 1 - briefly state the main solutions:

In my opinion, the best solution to this problem is promoting active lifestyle.

Sentences 2-3 - write the first solution and explain it:

 Firstly, millions of people stay less active because they use cars instead of walking.
Therefore, an effective way to make people more active is to advertise walking and
cycling as safe and attractive alternatives to motorized transport.

Sentences 4-5 - describe the second solution (dont forget to expand your opinion!):

Moreover, inactive lifestyle is gaining popularity because nowadays a lot of people

prefer passive rest to workouts in the gym. And the best way to avoid the hazards of
unhealthy living is to obtain a regular dose of physical activity. Thus, promoting gyms
and regular exercising would increase the level of activity.

Conclusion

Write your conclusion in 2 sentences by summing up the problems and solutions youve written
in your body paragraphs:

In conclusion, leading a sedentary lifestyle causes a lot of health problems, including obesity
and spinal diseases. The most effective solution is to increase the level of fitness among the
society by advertising physical activity.

Band 9 answer sample

These days a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more popular despite a big number of
sport facilities. This essay will discuss the main problems associated with this epidemic and
propose some possible solutions to avoid them.

The main problems caused by inactive lifestyle are obesity and various spine disorders. A
growing number of body research shows that long periods of physical inactivity raise a risk of
becoming overweight. This is because people burn fewer calories and easily gain weight.
Whats more, a lot of studies show that so-called sitting disease often results in posture and
backbone problems. Due to constant sitting, person loses muscle tissue and curves spine,
developing numerous spinal diseases. For example, it has been proven that about 80% of people
experience backache at least once a week.

In my opinion, the best solution to these problems is promoting active lifestyle. Firstly, millions
of people stay less active because they use cars instead of walking. Therefore, an effective way
to make people more active is to advertise walking and cycling as safe and attractive
alternatives to motorized transport. Moreover, inactive lifestyle is gaining popularity because
nowadays a lot of people prefer passive rest to workouts in the gym. And the best way to avoid
the hazards of unhealthy living is to obtain a regular dose of physical activity. Thus, promoting
gyms and regular exercising would increase the level of activity.

In conclusion, leading a sedentary lifestyle causes a lot of health problems, including obesity
and spinal diseases. The most effective solution is to increase the level of fitness among the
society by advertising physical activity.
(268 words)

IELTS Writing: advantages &

disadvantages essay
In this lesson you will learn how to produce a band 9 answer for advantages & disadvantages
essay in IELTS Writing. As an example, we will use a topic of tourism in modern world.
Basically, in all advantages and disadvantages essays your task is to describe positive and
negative sides of a given topic + give your opinion.

In this lesson you will:

see a question sample

learn effective ways to quickly produce ideas for your answer
learn band 9 answer structure

for advantages and disadvantages essay in IELTS.

IELTS advantages & disadvantages question sample

For example, you can get this question for IELTS writing task 2:

A lot of places in the world rely on tourism as a main source of income. Unfortunately, tourism
can also be a source of problems if it is not managed correctly.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world. Do you think that
benefits of tourism outweight its drawbacks?

This essay topic is related to tourism. Of course, topics for questions will vary, but ideal answer
structure is the same for all advantages & disadvantages essays in IELTS.
Producing ideas for your answer

Before you start writing your essay, you should always spend 1-2 minutes on producing ideas
for your answer. This way, youll know what to write about and your answer will be more
coherent and well-structured. In case of advantages & disadvantages essay, you need to think
of 2-3 advantages and 2-3 disadvantages of the given issue.

Lets think about advantages and disadvantages of tourism in the modern world.

Advantages of tourism:

boost in countrys economy due to increased spending

new job opening for local people
opportunities to discover new places for individual travelers

Disadvantages of tourism:

destruction of popular tourist destinations by large numbers of tourists

development of illegal economic activities
local people can experience loss of privacy

Now, after weve collected some ideas, its time to use them in our essay.

Band 9 answer structure for causes & solutions essay

Though there are many ways to structure your IELTS essay, well use this time-tested band 9
essay structure:

1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph 1 advantages
3. Body paragraph 2 disadvantages
4. Conclusion
Tip: before starting to write your essay, decide what you think: does tourism have more
advantages or disadvantages? Youll need to make accent on your opinion in one of the body
paragraphs.

Well use the opinion that tourism has more advantages.

Introduction Write the introduction in 2 sentences:

o Sentence 1 - paraphrase the question (restate the problem):

Nowadays tourism generates a significant portion of national income for many

countries, but it has certain drawbacks too.

o Sentence 2 - tell the examiner what youre going to describe in your essay:

This essay will examine the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and provide a
logical conclusion.

Body paragraph 1 - advantages

o Sentence 1 - state 2 main advantages:

The two main advantages of developed tourism industry are boost in countrys
economy and a large number of new job openings for the local people.

o Sentences 2-4 - explain the first advantage + give an example (if possible):

Firstly, tourists spend money on a wide range of services, including hotels,

amusements, transportation, food and medical services. This way, tourism yields an
additional income, greatly supporting the countries economies.

o Sentences 5-7 - explain the second advantage + give an example (if possible):

Secondly, tourism increases the level of employment by bringing new jobs. For
instance, the influx of tourists results in a larger demand in restaurant workers, tour
guides, hotel staff and employees of retail services, exhorting business owners to hire
more people for these positions.

Body paragraph 2 - disadvantages

o Sentence 1 - state 2 main disadvantages:

However, tourism also has some major disadvantages like destruction of popular tourist
destinations and development of illegal economic activities.
 o Sentences 2-4 - explain the first disadvantage + give an example (if possible):

Ancient buildings, temples and monuments struggle to cope with a vast amount of
visitors traffic and get damaged. Also, the large number of tourists can cause
environmental problems. For instance, when places of interest are overcrowded, natural
resources often become overexploited.

o Sentences 5-7 - explain the second disadvantage + give an example (if possible):

Whats more, tourism can create more serious situations where criminal issues are
involved. The presence of a considerable number of tourists with a lot of money to
spend, and often carrying valuables such as cameras and jewelry, increases the
attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing.

o Sentences 8 - make an accent on your opinion (well use the opinion that tourism has more
advantages):

However, proper hospitality management and correct usage of tourism revenue by the
local government can eliminate these disadvantages.

Conclusion

o Sentences 1-2 - briefly restate the advantages and disadvantages

To conclude, although tourism has certain disadvantages like destructive effects and
growth of crime rate, it has an extremely positive impact on countrys economy and
provides a large number of new jobs for the local people.

o Sentence 2 - give your final opinion

I believe that these benefits of tourism outweigh its drawbacks.

Band 9 answer sample

Nowadays tourism generates a significant portion of national income for many countries, but
it has certain drawbacks too. This essay will examine the advantages and disadvantages of
tourism and provide a logical conclusion.

The two main advantages of developed tourism industry are boost in countrys economy and a
large number of new job openings for the local people. Firstly, tourists spend money on a wide
range of services, including hotels, amusements, transportation, food and medical services.
This way, tourism yields an additional income, greatly supporting the countrys economy.
Secondly, tourism increases the level of employment by bringing new jobs. For instance, the
influx of tourists results in a larger demand in restaurant workers, tour guides, hotel staff and
employees of retail services, exhorting business owners to hire more people for these positions.
But tourism also has some major disadvantages like destruction of popular tourist destinations
and development of illegal economic activities. Ancient buildings, temples and monuments
struggle to cope with a vast amount of visitors traffic and get damaged. Also, the large number
of tourists can cause environmental problems. For instance, when places of interest are
overcrowded, natural resources often become overexploited. Whats more, the presence of a
considerable number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often carrying valuables such
as cameras and jewelry, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like
robbery and drug dealing. However, proper hospitality management and correct usage of
tourism revenue by the local government can eliminate these disadvantages.

To conclude, although tourism can have certain negative effects like destructive impact and
growth of crime rate, it has an extremely positive influence on countrys economy and provides
a large number of new jobs for the local people. I believe that these benefits of tourism
outweigh its drawbacks.

(299 words)