IELTS Essay Questions 2019

Some people think that formal education should start for children as early as possible. While others think that it should not start until 7 years of age.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(Azerbaijan)

Model  Answer >>>

It is not necessary to travel to other places to learn about other cultures of other people. We can learn just as much from books, films, and the internet.

Do you agree or disagree?

(India)

Young people are leaving their homes from rural areas to study or work in the cities.

What are the reasons?

Do advantages of this development outweigh its disadvantages?

(India)

Some people argue that arts, such as paintings and music, are a waste of money and the government should spend this money on other public services.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

(Nigeria)

Nowadays it is common for people to get married and have children in their thirties rather than when they are younger.

Do you agree or disagree that this trend will benefit society?

(USA)

Demand for gas and oil is increasing and so finding new sources in remote and untouched areas is a necessity.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

(Saudi Arabia)

Model Answer >>>

Many young people are leaving their homes in rural areas to study or work in the cities.

What are the reasons?

Do the advantages of this development outweigh its disadvantages?

(India)

Some people believe that hobbies need to be difficult to be enjoyable.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(India - General Training)

Some people belive that money is the best gift for teenagers while others disagree.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

(Iran - General Training)

Some people say it is a good idea for all employees to wear a uniform at work.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(UAE - General Training)

Some people belive that money is the best gift for teenagers while others disagree.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

(Iran - General Training)

Some people believe that after a child enters school their teachers will have more influence than their parents.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Uzbekistan)

Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.

(Sri Lanka)

In the past, lectures were used as a way of teaching large numbers of students, but now with the development of technology for education, many people think there is no justification for attending lectures.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

(Iran)

Some people think that public libraries are not necessary whereas others believe that they are essential for people.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

(UAE - General Training)

Nowadays people get married and have kids in their thirties rather then when they are younger.

Do you agree or disagree that this trend will benefit society?

(USA - General Training)

Does the educational success of a person depend on the teacher or it the attitude of the student? 

(Ukraine - General Training)

Nowadays, international tourism is the biggest industry in the world. Unfortunately, international tourism creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

(India)

Fossil fuels (e.g. coals, oil and gas) are the main source of energy for most countries. However, alternative sources of energy (e.g. wind and solar) have been encouraged to be used by some countries.

To what extent is this a positive or negative development?

(Indonesia)

It is necessary for parents to attend a parenting training course to bring their children up.

Do you agree or disagree?

(Canada)

Demand for food is increasing worldwide.

What is the cause of this? What measures can the international community take to meet this demand?

(India)

Many companies sponsor sports as a way of advertising themselves. Some people think that it is good thing, while others think that it has disadvantages.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

(India)

More and more people want to own items, such as cars, clothing and other things, that are made by famous brands.

What are the reasons for this?

Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

Some say that people living in high-rise apartments are lonely and unhappy, while others say that it’s advantageous to stay in high-rise apartments.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(Saudi Arabia - General Training)

Nowadays, adults do little exercise. Some people believe that the best way to address this issue is by covering great sports events such as the Olympics on television. Others think that it is more beneficial to take other measures.

What is your opinion?

(India - General Training)

Some people think that teenagers should follow what the old people say whereas some believe that it is good for teenage people to challenge what old people say.

Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.

(India - General Training)

Nowadays, adults do little exercise. Some people believe that the best way to address this issue is by covering great sports events such as the Olympics on television. Others think that it is more beneficial to take other measures.

What is your opinion?

(Iran - General Training)

Some people are happy to spend the whole of their life living in the same area. However, others prefer to live in many different areas over their life time.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(Iran)

These days some people spend a lot of money on tickets to go to sporting or cultural events.

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

(India)

Experts say older people were happier and healthier in the past because they did more exercise and spent more time with family and friends, whereas now many suffer loneliness and health problems.

What are the causes of this and what are some solutions?

(India)

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people.

Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

(India)

Some people believe that to be a successful sportsperson, one needs to have a natural ability. Others think that hard work and practice are more important.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(India / Bangladesh - General Training)

Today much of the food people eat gets transported from farms that are thousands of miles away. Some people believe it would be better for the environment and the economy if people only consumed food produced by local farmers.

Would the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Model Answer >>>

The qualities and skills that a person requires to become successful in today's world cannot be learned at a university or other academic institutions.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Iran)

Some people think that prison sentences should not be used in dealing with criminals. Education and job training should be used instead.

To what extent do you agree on disagree?

(Myanmar)

Nowadays more and more business meetings and business training are taking place online.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Some people from poor and rural backgrounds find it difficult to get a university education. Universities have to make it easier, especially for such groups, to get into them.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Sri Lanka)

Some people think that it is the responsibility of governments to take care of the environment, while others believe that it is the responsibility of people to take care of the environment.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(Australia - General Training)

Most people prefer ready to eat food outside of their home rather than homemade food now.

Do you think this has more advantages or more disadvantages?

(India - General Training)

People spend a lot of money on various things as they earn more money nowadays than before.

Is it a positive or negative development? 

(India - General Training)

Some parents prefer to send their children to preschool while others say they should stay at home until they are older.

What is your opinion?

(Nepal - General Training)

Older people usually think that life used to be better in the past.

Do you think they are right or wrong to think like that?

(Brazil - General Training)

Young adults should contribute to their communities by doing unpaid work in their free time.

Do advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

(Russia)

Many famous sports players advertise sports products.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists rather than local people.

Why does this happen?

What can be done to encourage local people to visit museums and historical sites?

These days many families move to other countries for work. Some people believe that the children in these families benefit from this move. However, others believe that it makes life more difficult for the children.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Universities should develop methods to support students who come from rural and disadvantageous backgrounds.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Sri Lanka)

Libraries should be shut down as better alternatives are available.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Sri Lanka)

In many countries people are living in a "throwaway society" where things are used for a short time and thrown away.

What are the causes of this and what problems does it lead to?

(Uzbekistan)

Shopping is now one of the most popular forms of leisure activity in many countries for young adults.

Why is this?

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

These days many children spend a lot of their time playing computer games but little time doing sports.

Why is this?

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Some people think that one of the best ways to solve environmental problems is to increase the cost of fuel for cars and other vehicles.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

These days many families move abroad for work. Some people believe that this benefits the children in these families. Others believe that it makes their lives more difficult.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion

(India - General Training)

Some people believe that teenagers are facing more problems in their life than they did in the past and this is  because parents are spending more time at work than at home.

Do you agree or disagree?

(Nigeria / UAE - General Training)

Many people think that more money will make them happier.

How important is money for happiness?

(Nigeria - General Training)

Some people say it is manufactures and supermarkets responsibility to reduce the amount of packaging of products they sell and others say it is the consumers responsibility to avoid buying products with too much packaging.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(India)

These days, many people have their own computer and telephone, so it is quite easy for them to do their job at home.

Does working at home have more advantages or more disadvantages?

Model Answer>>>

In a lot of countries today, people can buy a wider range of household goods, such as  microwaves, televisions, or rice cookers, than ever before.

Is this a positive or negative development?

Some people say that parents should places restrictions on the hours their children spend watching TV and playing computer games, and encourage them to spend this time reading books instead.

Do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that all teenagers should have to do unpaid work during their free time in order to help the local community. They think this would benefit the teenagers doing the unpaid work but also society as a whole.

Do you agree or disagree?

Some countries are struggling with an increase in the rate of crime. Many people think that having more police on the streets is the only way to reduce these increasing levels of crime.

To what extent to you agree or disagree?

(Azerbaijan)

Some people think parents should supervise their children's activities closely, while others believe children should have more freedom.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(Azerbaijan)

More and more people are becoming seriously overweight. Some people say that increasing the price of fattening foods will solve this problem.

To what extend do you agree or disagree?

Today, many people do not realise how important the natural world is.

Why is this?

How can people learn more about the importance of the natural world?

Some people believe that to reduce the amount of time people spend commuting (travelling to work),  parks and gardens close to city centres should be replaced by apartment buildings for commuters to live in. However, others disagree with this.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

In many countries, weddings are getting bigger and more expensive than the past.

Is this a positive or negative development?

(India - General Training)

Some believe that it is the responsibility of people to take care of the environment. Others say it is the government that should take care of the environment.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(Kuwait - General Training)

Some people believe that the increasing number of vehicles is one of the biggest problem facing cities, while others believe that cities have bigger challenges.

Discuss both views and state your opinion.

Nigeria

Some people think that men are naturally more competitive than women.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

These days, mobile phones and the internet are very important to the ways in which people relate to one another socially.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Model Answer >>>

Scientists believe that in order to protect the environment, people must use less energy in their daily lives. However, most people have not changed the way they live.

Why do you think many people have not taken individual action?

What could be done to encourage them to take action?

Films and computer games which contain violence are very popular. Some people believe they have a negative effect on society and so should be banned. Other people, however, say they are just harmless and help people to relax.

Discuss both these points of view and give your own opinion.

Many doctors say that people in today's world do not do enough physical exercise.

What do you think are the causes of this?

What solutions are there to this problem?

(Iran - General Training)

Some people think that higher institutions should concentration more on academic subjects such as history and the physical sciences, while others think that they should concentrate more on practical subjects such as car mechanics and cookery, etc.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion

(General Training)

In many countries, the rich are becoming richer and poor are becoming poorer.

Why is this a problem?

What solutions are there to tackle this problem?

(India)

Some people think that radio is the best way to get news while others think that television is better for this purpose.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(India)

Over consuming sugar is unhealthy. Some people think that governments should take responsibility to control it. Others think that individuals should take responsibility of sugar intake.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(India - General Training)

People live longer today and so people should stay in the workforce longer.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Nepal)

Money should be spent on creating new public buildings such as museums or town halls rather than renovating the existing ones.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Nigeria - General Training)

All the people in a company should be treated equally and provided with the same number of vacations in a year.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

(Canada - General Training)

Some people say that a person's success is as a result of the way he has been brought up by his parents.

Do you agree or disagree?

(Pakistan - General Training)

Public celeberations (such as national days, festivals etc) are held in most countries. These are often quite expensive and some people say that governments should spend money on more useful things.

Do you agree or disagree?

(Pakistan - General Training)

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