Gender

Some people believe in the traditional idea

that the womans place is in the home, while
others say that idea is outdated and that
women should play an increasingly important
role in the workplace of the future. What is
your opinion?
The family
The education a child receives at home from
having parents who are positive role models is
more important than the academic education
a child receives at school. To what extent do
you agree or disagree?
In many countries there has been an increase
in social problems involving teenagers in
recent years. Many people believe that this is
due to modern lifestyles because parents
spend more and more time at work and have
less time to supervise their children. To what
extent do you believe this is true? (sample
essay to download)
People are now living longer than ever before
and many old people are unable to look after
themselves. Some people believe that it is the
responsibility of families to look after the

elderly, while others say governments should

provide retirement homes for them where
they can be looked after properly. Discuss.
Modern lifestyles mean that many parents
have little time for their children. Many
children do not get as much attention from
their parents as children did in the past. To
what extent do you agree or disagree? (China
writing) See my sample essay for useful
vocabulary.
Sport and leisure
Essay questions
Some people believe that the government
should ban dangerous sporting activities while
others think that people have the freedom do
whatever sports they choose. Discuss both
views and give your own opinion Lesson on
academic vocabulary including a download of
the essay
It is commonly thought that it is healthy for
adults to maintain an outside interest in order
to relax or stay fit. Compare the advantages
and disadvantages of 3 of the following sports
and pastimes:

*tennis *walking *visiting museums *reading

*joining a club *going to a gym
Many people want their country to host an
international sporting event. Others believe
that international sporting events bring more
problems than benefits. Discuss both views
and include your opinion, supported by
examples.
Some people believe that competitive sports
have a positive effect on childrens education,
while others believe there is no place for such
sports in schools. Discuss both points of view
and give your own opinion.
In many countries people working in sport and
entertainment earn much more money than
professionals like doctors, nurses and
teachers. Why do you think this happens in
some societies and do you consider it is good
or bad? (China writing)
Employment and money essay questions
Vocabulary, ideas and exercises for
employment essays
For help in writing these essays and to find
ideas for them, visit my employment
vocabulary and exercises page

Essay questions
Some people think that teenagers should do
unpaid work to help society because this will
help them to be better individuals and also
improve the society as a whole. To what
extent do you agree or disagree with this
proposal? lesson on how to write a balanced
essay using a 5 paragraph essay structure
Nowadays many jobs are more stressful and
the working day is longer. What are the
reasons for this? What can employers do to
help employees? - model essay with lesson
and exercises to help you write the essay
Some people think that only staff who worked
in a company for a long time should be
promoted to a higher position. Whats your
opinion? Lesson on coherence and writing
better paragraphs including a download of the
essay
In many countries people working in sport and
entertainment earn much more money than
professionals like doctors, nurses and
teachers. Why do you think this happens in
some societies and do you consider it is good

or bad? sample essay with exercises and

download
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? sample essay with
vocabulary exercises and download
Some people argue that the government
should give every unemployed person a
mobile phone and should make sure they
have access to the Internet. They believe this
is the best way of using public money to
reduce the problem of unemployment. To
what extent do you agree or disagree? (Focus
on IELTS)
In many countries, children are engaged in
some kind of paid work. Some people regard
this as completely wrong, while others
consider it as valuable work experience,
important for learning and taking
responsibilities. Discuss. (Cambridge IELTS 3)
Many people decide on a career path early in
their lives and keep to it. This, they argue,
leads to a more satisfying working life.

To what extent do you agree with this view?

What other things can people do in order to
have a satisfying working life?
Travel and transport
Essay questions
In cities and towns all over the world the high
volume of traffic is a problem. What are the
causes of this and what actions can be taken
to solve this problem? : lesson with model
IELTS essay and advice on essay structure,
choice of vocabulary and finding ideas for the
essay.
It is said that travel broadens the mind. What
can we learn by travelling to other countries?
Should we first explore our own countries?
Discuss.
In many countries tourism is a major part of
the economy, but it also causes
environmental damage and ruins the places it
exploits. It is argued that tourists should pay
an additional tax to compensate for this
damage. Do you agree?

In the modern world car ownership is

regarded as a right. However, some argue
that governments should try to reduce the
number of cars on the road by improving
public transport, as the growing number of
cars on the road causes traffic congestion and
pollution. Discuss
Young drivers are careless and overconfident,
and too many are killed in accidents. To
eliminate this problem, we could teach
children the skills of safe driving while they
are at school. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this statement? (IELTS Practice
tests with answers)
Science and technology
Essay questions
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? (see my sample essay)
When a country develops its technology, the
traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is
pointless to try and keep them alive. To what

extent do you agree or disagree? (Cambridge

IELTS 3)
We are becoming increasingly dependent on
computer technology. It is used in business,
crime detection and even to fly planes. What
will it be used for in future? Is this
dependence on technology a good thing or
should we be suspicious of its benefits?
Telecommuting refers to workers doing their
jobs from home for part of each week and
communicating with their office using
computer technology. Telecommuting is
growing in many countries and is expected to
be common for most office workers in the
coming decades. How do you think society
will be affected by the growth of
telecommuting? (IELTS to Success)
In the future, we will have more and more
leisure time as machines replace many of the
tasks we do at home and work. Discuss the
benefits this will bring and also the problem it
will cause. (Academic writing practice)
We live today in an electronic information
age. It is easier to be connected by
technology yet many people seem no closer

to feeling happy in their lives. In what extent

do you agree or disagree. (IELTS on Track)
Advances in science and technology and other
areas of society in the last 100 years have
transformed the way we live as well as
postponing the day we die. There is no better
time to be alive than now. To what extent do
you agree or disagree with this opinion?
(Focus on IELTS)
Space exploration requires vast sums of
money. Is the amount of money spent on
space research justifiable? Could the money
be better spent? (see my sample essay)
The threat of nuclear weapons maintains
world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap
and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear
technology far outweigh the disadvantages.
Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for
your answer. (see my sample essay with
commentary)
Some people say that the Internet is making
the world smaller by bringing people together.
To what extent do you agree that the internet
is making it easier for people to communicate
with one another?

Education
Questions

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? (IELTS
Practice tests with answers) sample essay
with vocabulary exercise and download

Everyone should stay in school until the age

of 18. To what extent do you agree or
disagree? sample essay with vocabulary
exercises and download

In the past lectures were the traditional

method of teaching large numbers of
students. Nowadays new technology is
increasingly being used to teach students.
What are the advantages and disadvantages
of this new approach? Sample essay with
detailed vocabulary help and advice on
structuring the essay for coherence.

Some people believe that exams are an

inappropriate way of measuring students
performance and should be replaced by
continuous assessment. Do you agree or
disagree with this view? Sample essay with
detailed advice on improving your paragraph
structure

Some people argue that universities should

provide students with more practical training
for their future career. Should university
education be more vocational or academic.
Discuss

In many countries schools have severe

problems with student behaviour. What do
you think are the causes of this? What
solutions can you suggest? (Cambridge IELTS
4)

Many universities charge higher fees for

foreign students. Why do they do this? Do you
believe that it is fair?

Most university graduates earn more money

than less well educated people. Some people
argue that this means they should pay the full

cost of their education. To what extent do you

agree or disagree?

Nothing is more important to a countrys

future than education. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
Government
Business and finance
It some countries people pay different rates
of tax depending on their salary, in other
countries everyone pays the same rate.
Which do you believe is the best system?
Many people judge success solely by money
and material possessions. However, success
can be achieved or measured in other ways.
Discuss. (IELTS Foundation)
Politics
A government has various duties to its
citizens, but limited resources. Should
defence spending take up a significant
proportion of the national budget? Discuss.
One of the most pressing problems facing
the world today is overpopulation. What
policies do you believe governments should
adopt to address the causes and effects of
this problem? (sample essay with lesson on

how to understand the question and write

the introduction)
Future plans which is to design prisons for
learning and working, with bigger cells
containing computers that will enable study
and communication, have been criticized for
trying to turn prisons into holiday camps
and wasting taxpayers money. To what
extent do you agree or disagree? (IELTS
Foundation)
Environment and housing
Essay questions
The best way to solve the worlds
environmental problems is to increase the
cost of fuel. To what extent do you agree or
disagree? (China writing) sample essay with
vocabulary exercises and download
Some people prefer to live in a house, while
others think that there are more advantages
living in an apartment. sample essay with
vocabulary exercises and download
In recent years, farming practice has
changed to include methods such as factory
farming and the use of technology to
improve crops. Some people believe these
developments are necessary, while others
regard them as dangerous and advocate a

return to more traditional farming methods.

Discuss both points of view and give your
own opinion. Sample essay to download
with advice on how to structure the essay.
In many countries there is a shortage of
housing due to a growing population. Some
people argue that new towns should be built
in the countryside, others argue for the
regeneration of cities. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of the
building new towns in the countryside?
The world is consuming natural resources
faster than they can be renewed. Therefore,
it is important that products are made to
last. Governments should discourage people
from constantly buying more up to date or
fashionable products. To what extent do you
agree with this statement? (Model tests for
the IELTS
Health
Essay questions
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? sample essay and

tutorial
Prevention is better than cure. Out of a
countrys health budget, a large proportion
should be diverted from treatment to
spending on health education and
preventative measures. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with this statement?
(Cambridge IELTS 2)
Most developed countries spend a large
proportion of their heath budgets on
expensive medical technology and
procedures. This money should be spent
instead on health education to keep people
well. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
(IELTS on Track)
The quality of health care a person receives
should not depend on the size of their bank
balance. The government is responsible for
providing a high level of heath care for all its
citizens. To what extent do you agree or
disagree? (Reading and Writing module)
Currently there is a trend towards the use of
alternative forms of medicine. However, at
best these methods are ineffective, and at

worst they may be dangerous. To what extent

do you agree or disagree? (IELTS Foundation)
Language and culture
Sample essay questions
Language and Culture
Many historic buildings are being destroyed or
replaced. What are the reasons for this? What
should be done to preserve these buildings?
( complete lesson with essay to download,
help with essay vocabulary and 3 exercises to
show you how to write the essay)
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. (see my sample essay)
Several languages die every year and English
is becoming used more and more as a world
language. Many people feel this is a positive
trend and that a world with fewer languages
promotes harmony and understanding
between people. Analyze both sides of this
argument and provide your opinion. based on
a recent exam question

Arts, music and entertainment

Advances in science and technology have
made great changes to lives of ordinary
people, but artists such as musicians, painters
and writers are still highly valued. What can
the arts tell us about life that science and
technology cannot? (Sample essay with
lesson on how to understand the question and
help with structuring the essay)
In recent years, people watch more movies
from overseas? What are the reasons for this?
Should the government give financial support
to local cinema to produce local films? (lesson
with sample essay and help with vocabulary
and ideas and how to structure the essay)
Music is one of the most important art forms.
What is its significance in the world today?
Do you believe that more modern forms of
music have superseded the more traditional
forms of music?
One of the functions of art is to challenge the
establishment. There should therefore be no
restrictions in the form of censorship on
artists. To what extent do you agree or
disagree?

It is more important for the government to

invest in projects that benefit the whole
community such as welfare programmes and
infrastructure improvements than for it to
subsidise activities and institutions for the
arts such as museums and art galleries as
these will only benefit a minority. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
Some people argue that the amount of
violence shown in films and on television has
led to an increase in violent crimes in society.
Do you agree with this argument? Should the
government control what is shown on
television and in the cinema?
Some people say that young people today do
not make good use of their leisure time and
that they spend too much time inside
watching television and playing video games
and that they should rather spend more time
outside engaging in physical activities. To
what extent do you agree or disagree
Crime and law
Essay questions
Without capital punishment (the death
penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes

of violent increase. Capital punishment is

essential to control violence in society. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?
(Cambridge IELTS 2)
Tobacco and alcohol are drugs that cause
addition and health problems. Should they be
made illegal? Or should all drugs be legalized?
(Essay Writing)
Crime is nearly always related to the
environment in which it occurs. For this
reason, international laws and international
law courts are unrealistic and will not succeed
in reducing crime levels in different countries.
Discuss. (Insight into IELTS)
The only way to cut the crime rate is build
more prisons and make prison sentences
longer. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this opinion?