Ideas for IELTS essay topics

Ideas for IELTS
EssayTopics

Useful Ideas & Vocabulary
for over 150 IELTSEssay
Topics.

Fo r Academic & GT IELTS Wr iti ng Task 2.

IELTSlffll


IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssay Topics

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson 2019.

All right s reserved . No part of t his e-book may be reproduced, distribut ed or tr ansm itt ed in any fo rm
or by any means wi t hout wi th prior w ritten permiss ion of the co pyright owner.

This e-book is licensed fo r your personal benefit on ly. This e-book may not be re-sold or distributed
t o other peop le. If you wou ld like t o share th is book w ith another person, please purchase an
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purc hase you r own copy . Thank you for respecti ng the hard wo rk of th e auth or.

This book cont ains usef ul ideas for essay top ics w hich can be used for IELTSw rit ing t ask 2. The ideas
presen t ed are not int ended t o influence any pe rson's persona l op inions and do not represen t the
op in io ns of the au t hor.

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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Message from IELTSLiz

I hope you find this e-book useful not only for your /El TS exam
preparation but also for your English language development as a
whole. I believe that the joy of learning a language never stops. For
this reason, I have tried to fill this e-book with as much useful and
interesting language as possible. I hope you will continue learning
from it well after you have received your /ELTS results and moved
forward with your future plans.
To help you prepare ideas for IELTSwriting task 2, I have tried to
cover all the main topics that commonly appear. These topics are
presented in a way to help you develop range and accuracy in your English vocabulary. I hope
you enjoy the exercises.
Please watch the introduction video that comes with this e-book. It will give you an insight into
how to use these materials appropriately to improve your score in /ELTS writing task 2.
The keys to success in /El TS are adequate preparation , strong English and confidence. This ebook will help you take one very large step along that road. I wish you lots of luck in your test.
You can do it!
All the best
Liz


IELTSffll

Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

About "Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics"

This e-book is for IELTS candidates taking either the Academic or
General Training writing task 2 test.

Ideasfor IELTS
EssayTopics

The aim of the book is:
1.
2.
3.

l.;;l
•

Useful Ideas & Vocabulary
for over 150 IELTSEssay

Topics.

F<:,".AA~SOIClf)W!tlHICltt.kl

am-

to provide you w ith useful ideas that you can use in your
IELTSwriting task 2 essay.
to help you learn topic related vocabulary for your essay.

to help you develop accuracy and awareness of co llocations
and use of English language through exercises.

Without ideas for topic s it is difficult for any IELTS candidate to
score well in wr iting task 2. You are marked on your abi lity to
present and explain relevant ideas that directly address the issue
in the essay question . This book w ill help you gain useful ideas that

you can use in your IELTSessay.
You w ill find ;i list of c:ommon toric:s ;incl s11htoric:slistP.clon thP. c:ontP.ntsr;igP.. F;ic:h m;iin toric: c:ovP.rs
the most common sub-topic s that appear in IELTS w riti ng task 2. There are 30 main topics in total wi th
ideas for over 150 essay topics.
The ideas are presented as simple exercises to help you think more carefu lly about the ideas and to
help you focus on essentia l vocabu lary for that topic. Once you have completed the exercises, you
shou ld review them carefu lly to learn and remember the ideas.
Please watch the Informat ion video that comes wit h this e-book to learn more about how to use these
materials.

Can I use the se ideas in my essay?

Of course, you can. These ideas are for you to learn and use. You can use the ideas and the vocabula ry
from thi s book in your essay.
Can I memorise senten ces from this book to use in my essay?

No. It is not a good idea to memorise full sentences for your essay. IELTS is an English te st that is aimed
to assess your own leve l of English, not your abi lity to memorise someone else's English. This means
you can learn the ideas and learn the vocabula ry, but in the test you must present the ideas by creating
your own sentences.

IELTSlffl

Ideasfor IELTSEssaysTopics

Content: Topics A - E

PAGE

TOPICS
1

Advertising

company sponsoring
targeting children
fast food adverts
advertising increasing spending

1

2

Animals

protect ing wild animals
test ing on anima ls
decrease in species
zoos
man's relationship wit h animals

5

3

Art

supporting the arts
censorship
children & art
galleries & museums

9

4

Buildings &
Hou sing

rent ing o r buying
t rees or housing
urban or rural d evelopment
protect ing old buil d ings
open plan offi ces

12

5

Business

closure of smal l businesses
large companies & local communities
sports facilities for employees
business shou ld support local communities
marketing as a key to success
peop le buying things they do not need
staff uniforms
success is measure by money
fam ily run businesses

16

6

Character &
People

success: innat e o r achieved?
celebrities as role models should behave well in
public
leadershi p: innate or learned?
change

22

7

Crime &
Punishment

increase in crime rate
long t erm pr ison sentences
re-offending
internet crime
advanced technology to solve & prevent crime

26

Copyright© Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
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any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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Ideas for IELTSEssaysTopics
fixed punishments
juven ile crime
juven iles to receive adult pun ishment
the death penalty
responsibility for crime in society
broadcasting criminal trials on TV

8

Economy&
Money

gap between rich and poor

rich countries should support poor countries
personal debt
using credit cards
saving money & economy

34

9

Education

d iscip line in schoo ls
should parents push children
are art and music a waste of time?
streaminq
exams & assessment
wearinq school uniforms
obligatory extra-curricular activit ies
studyinq abroad
home school inq
corporal punishment
sinqle-sex schools
a good teacher needs to be intell igent
more boys than qirls study science
trad itional classrooms vs online learning
education should be free for everyone

39

10

Environment

pollution
natural beauty spots
deforestation
resource depletion
responsibi lity for solving environmental issues
solv ing problems g lob ally or domestically
declining biodiversity

51

Answer Key

Copyright© Elizabeth Ferguson2019
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any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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Ideas for IELTSEssaysTopics

Content: Topics F-R

TOPICS

PAGE

11

Family

responsibility for disciplining children
family size
women having children later in life
childless marr iaqes
divorce
single parent fam ilies
children spend inq more t ime with qrandparen ts
bot h parents working
care of the elderly
researching fami ly history

58

12

Food

GM foods
factory farm ing
fast foods should be banned
packaged food
fu ture world food shortage
vegetar ian diet
preservatives in food

66

13

Health

funding prevention or cure
qrowinq number of overweiqh t people
responsibility for public health
fewer people walk t hese days

72

14

Internet &
Computers

social med ia benef it commun ication
computers will replace teachers
internet br ings people closer together
risks for children on line
security onl ine
on line shopp ing
meeting peop le online

75

15

Language

Engl ish as t he only g lobal language
free online translat ion
learninq a foreiqn lanquaqe in pr imary schoo l

81

16

Leisure

shopp ing as a leisure activity
the value of free time

84

17

Media & TV

vio lence in t he media promotes violence in society

86

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson2019
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any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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Ideas for IELTSEssaysTopics
famous people have the right to privacy
no future for radio
children watching TV
TV influences culture

18

Music

role of music
t radit ional music
internat ional music
stopp ing free music downloads

91

19

New s

is all news true?
news often focuses on bad news
newspapers will one day d isappear
online news is reliable?

95

20

Reading &
Books

e-boo ks or paper boo ks
publ ic libraries
reading storyboo ks is a waste of ti me
libraries should spend more money on techn ology

99

Answer Key

Copyright© Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by
any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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Ideas for IELTSEssaysTopics

Content: Topics S-W

TOPICS
PAGE
21

Society

litt ering
homelessness
importance of tradi tional lifesty les
t raditiona l lifestyles are beinq lost
people moving from rural to urban areas
soc iety needs rules to func tion
cultura l d iversity
happiness
utop ia
t he genera tion gap
t ighter gun control

103

22

Space
Exploration

spending money on space exploration
sending commun ications into space
space tour ism

112

23

Sport &
Exercise

int ernat ional sports events
danqerous sports should be banned
chil dren learninq team sports or individual sports
governmen ts bui lding sports facilities
watchinq sport on tv is a waste of t ime
who is responsib le for children to exercise?

115

24

Technology

bann ing mobi le phones in public areas
technology has helped peop le become more social
the gap between young and old
mankind is dependen t on modern technology
technology increases t he gap between rich and poor
the internet is mankind 's most important invention

121

25

Tourism

tourism

tourism causes damage to historical buildings
people need t o learn the lanquaqe in order to travel
people shou ld adapt to the cult ure of the coun try
people do not need to t ravel if t hey have tv
t ravell inq in a qro up or alone?
ecotourism

126

132
congestion in cit ies
increasing tax on fligh ts to reduce air travel
retak ing the driving test every five years
publ ic transport
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26

Transport


IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssaysTopics
increased car ownership
spending more money on railways

27

Water

oceans
water pol luti on
mar ine life
water should be control led by t he government
dr inkinq water shou ld be free, not sold

138

28

Work

the best way to get a good j ob
job satisfact ion
problems with work -life balance
who should have high salaries
children and part -t ime work
children and work explo itat ion
teachers do not want to work in rura l areas
working on line from home
all employees should have the same salary
factors influencing career choice
changing job vs a job for life
women in the armed forces
the retirement age shou ld be extended
robo ts and work

143

29

World

world overpopulat ion
aqinq world popu lation
qlobal warm inq
internati onal aid from rich coun tries to poor countries
growing gap between rich and poor
t he brain dra in

155

Issues

Answer Key

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by
any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

ADVERTISING

Companies Sponsoring Sports Events for Advertising Purposes
For

Against

• Sports teams or players are given free
equipment which t hey could not afford
otherwise .

• Some companies advertise products
harm ful to hea lth.

• Players can focus on their sport instead
of being dist racted by financial worries .

• Tobacco companies, among ot hers,
should not be allowed to sponsor
sports events.

• Companies can link their name t o
successful players .

• Companies can showcase their
products .

• People t hink posit ively of companies
that dona te produc t s and equ ipm ent.

• If the player is unsuccessful, it might
affect product sales .

•

Sports fans are more interested

in the

'

even t t han in t he sponsors ' advertising
messages .

•

The company 's repu t ation can be too

tightly linked to a player's reputation .
• A player who does drugs or misbehaves
will have negat ive consequences for the
company and vice versa .

• Sports sponsorship provides increas ed
media exposure for a company and its
brands .

Spot the Mistake Exercise: Ident ify t he two argumen ts which are in the wrong category .

Check the meaning of the words underlined and practise using them.

Advertising Targeting Children

Problem

Advertising food and drinks that have high
levels of fat and sugar causes child obesity.

Solution
¢

Food advertisements should encourage
children t o eat only hea lthy foods.
1

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in any form or by


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ldea1s for IELTSEssayTopics

Little children peste r the ir parents t o buy
t he prod ucts advertised on TV and social

c::> Some cou111trieshave already banne d
advertis ing targ eted at yo ung children .

m ed ia.

Children are unabl e t o differentiate

c::> It shou ld be illegal to use childr en' s film

between the actual TV programmes and

heroes and favo urite carto o n charact ers

commercials .

in advert isements .

Children have not yet learnt that t hings

c::> Inste ad of cons umerism, advert ising

cost mo ney or t hat money needs t o be

could promote creat ivity and valu es

earne d.

such as fr iendsh ip and ho nesty.

Adv ert ising gives chi ld ren the illusion th at

everyone has free access t o all mat erial

c::> Both schools and paren ts need to te ach
children cr it ical t hink ing skills.

t hings .

Sentence Completion Exercise: Comple te the se de finitions w it h a suitable word fro m the
sentences abo ut chi ld ren and advertising .

1 _____ is an econo m ic syste m tlhat encourages people to buy mor e and more things .
2 _____

is t he fact of being very fa t, in a way t hat can be harmf ul to health.

3 An _____

is someth ing th at seems t o be true or real, but is no t.

4 If you _____ between two t hings, you can recognis e or show t he diff erence between t h em.

5 If you _____ som eone for some t hing or to do someth ing, yo u ask them all the time in a way
t hat is very annoying.

6 To _____ some t hing means to proh ibit it officially.

2
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any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Advertising Fast Food

For

Against

• Freedlom of choice is one of the key
principles of a democra t ic society .

• Stu dies have shown a clear link
between the regular consump t ion of
fast food and obesity .

• For many people, fast food is more
affordable than health food .
• Withou t advertising, people would not
be able t o make informed choices.

• What people need is mo re information
about how t o eat a balanced and
healthy d iet.
• There is no need to advertise fast food
because it is already everywhere : in

school canteens, in supermarke t s and in
the high st reet.

• Nowadays, many fast food produc t s
have a 'diet ' version and a 'classic'
version .
• Effective advertising helps us
unders t and the difference between fast
food and junk food.

• Fast food is unhealthy and advertising it
is irrespons ible.
• Advertising should encourage people
to keep fit, not t o ruin the ir healt h.

I

Mat ching Exercise: Match t hese sentence halves.
1 If you make an informed choice or
decision,

2 An irresponsible action

a) is done without thinking about t he

possible bad consequences.

b) you mean t hat you have enough

money t o buy it.

3 A balanced diet

c) you mean that there is a connection

between them that is easy to see.
4 If you say that something is
affordable ,

d) it is based on knowledge of t he

situation.
5 If you say that there is a clear link

between two t hings or events,

e) is one that gives your body the

nutr ients it needs to function
properly .

3

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Ideas for IELTS EssayTopics

Advertising Encourages Spending

Encourages Unnecessary Spending

Provide s Information on Product s

• Advertisi ng is often for products and
services t hat we do not really need.

• Adverts help peop le save money by
info rm ing them about real bargains .

• A lot of adverts create artificial wants .

• Catalogues and brochu res enable
people to compare products and
services at leisure.

• People often buy things on ly because
of the image of powe r, success and
glamour associated w it h them .
• Children are easily infl uenced by
commercia ls and then pester their
pare nts to buy certain pro ducts.
• The ultimate aim of advert ising is to
subt ly persuade peop le to buy t hings.

• If you do not have t ime to shop
around, you can rely on advert ising to
learn about new products.
• Advertiseme nts info rm consume rs
about t he environme nta l impact of
products .
• Consumers can easily find out if a
company suooorts fair trade .

Sentence Completion Exercise: Study the words in bold in the sente nces above. Then use those
wo rds to complete the fol lowing sentences.

1 Advert isements featuring women very ofte n use images of _____ and luxu ry.
2 _____

ensures that producers and wo rkers in t he developi ng worl d are paid decent ly.

3 People ofte n buy things not because of real needs, but due to ____ _
4 People w ho have time to _____ ofte n manage to pick up some really good _____ .

5 Some cou ntr ies have laws to prevent and cont rol the negat ive _____ of advertis ing.
6 Tuuc1y, c1lc1rye 11u111ueru r cu11su111e
rs _____

sucic:11 11elwur ks Lu yu iue th ei r p u rd1c1se uecisiuns.

Types of Advertising
See answe r key for a list of types of advertising.

4

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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

ANIMALS
Protecting Wild Animals
For

Against

• People have a responsibility t o pro t ect
the species on this planet.

• It is too cost ly. It invo lves law
enforceme nt, research and security .

• Loss of species can disrupt t he balance
of the ecosystem.

• Humans should be prioritised

___ (3) animals .

• Biodiversity is essent ial ___ (1) t he well -

• Money should be spent ___ (4)

being of t he planet.

educat ion and healthcare for people.

• New medicines and treatments can be
found by studying animal species.

• Species w ill become extinct. It is part __
_ (5) life .

• It is t he only way some species can be
protected ___ (2) ext inction.

• Not all animals are worth saving . Some
animals are dangerous .

Sentence Completion Exercise: Complete these argumen ts for and against pro te cting wild
animals with t he correc t prepositions.

Animal Testing
1 Animal suffering can be kept to a minimum .
2 Animal te sting does not mean it is 100% safe for humans .
3 Animals are often killed dur ing test ing.

4 Animals freque ntly suffer extreme pain .

5 Animals have rig hts as well as huma ns.
6 Drugs must be te sted for side effects and safety reasons.

7 It can be costly t o ru n expe rim ents on animals .
8 It is better for an animal t o suffer than for a human to die.
9 Research can lead t o new treatments and save lives.

10 Testing medicines on animals ensures t he medicine is safe for human use.

5

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Ideas for IEl TS EssayTopics

1 Categorisation Exercise: Mark t he argumen t s above for( +) or against( -) animal test ing .

2 Collocations Exercise: Match items 1 - 3 with items a) - c) t o make common collocations. Then

read the sentences above again to check your answers.

1 to suffer

a) experiments

2 to run

b ) side effects

c) pain

3 to test for

Decrease in Some Animal Species
1. Declining numbers due to illega l hunt ing or poaching .
2. Endangered ani mal products are used in tradit iona l medi cines or the fashion industry.
3. Loss of habitat due t o deforesta t ion and human hab itat ion.
4. Low breeding numbe rs.

a) Develop breeding programmes for endange red species.
b) Educate people to avoid buying products made from cert ain species.
c) House people away from animal hab itats.
d) Organise guards to protect animals, and have harsher punishment for poaching and illegal
hunt ing.

Matching Exercise: Mat ch each problem (1-4) t o the appropria te solu t ion (a-d) .

6

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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Zoos
For

Against

• Zoos provide a safe environment for
endange red _____ (1).

• Some animal s suffer _____ (4) at the
hands of zoo keepers, staff or visiitors.

• Zoos educate peo ple t o respect wild
animal s.

• Holding wild animal s in _____ (5) is
wro ng.

• Zoos offer pro fessiona lly-run breeding

programmes.

• People do not learn to respect animals
if these are held behind bars.

• Zoos provide op portu nities for people
to have contact with wild animals.

• The _____ (6) and enclosures are often
too small for the animals.

• Zoos sometimes provide rehabilitation
programmes for animals going back
into the _____ (2).

• Some animals live in social groups in
the wild and cannot adapt t o a solitary
life in a zoo .

• Animals should have the right t o live in
t heir natural _____ (3).

• Zoo s are artificia l environ ments that
constrain an animal 's natural behavior.

captivity

cruelty

habitat

species

cages

wild

Sentence Completion Exercise: Use the wo rds in the box to complete the arguments for and

against zoos.

Man's Relationship with Animals

Past

Ani mals wer e used predo minantly fo r

Present
¢

agricultura l purposes.
Man 's diet ofte n tended to be meatbased.

In the developed world, farmers now
use machines fo r agriculture .

¢

There are many veget arians and vegans
nowadays.

7
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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Wild animals were hun te d for food or

¢

Many animal species are now protected
by law, and hunting them is illega l.

sport .

In earlier times, horses, oxen and dogs

¢

were working animals.
Animals were essentially a source of

Dogs can be t rained t o guide o r rescue
people and also t o t rack down criminals.

¢

Some animals are being used as
companions .

food.

All animals used to be wild.

¢

A larg e number of animal species have
become domestica te d .

1 Spot the Mistake Exercise: Identi fy t he pair of st atemen t s which does not provide a

Past/ Present con t rast.

2 Vocabulary Exercise: Find words and phrases in the sen te nces above that mean:

1 people or animals to spend a lot of t ime with
2 an animal that has been t amed or is kept as a pet

3 people who do not eat or use products der ived from animals
4 t o detect or uncover

8

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Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Art: t hings such as paintings, sculp t ures, d rawings, etc tha t are made for people to loo k at and admire or
th ink about.
The art s: art , music, da nce, th eatre, fi lm, literatu re, etc all co nsidered together.

Supporting the Arts
For

Against

• Art is a way to express ideas and
commun icate concepts.

• Art does not play a vit al role in society.

• Artists shou ld earn thei r own living.

• The government is responsible for
prot ecting cult ure.

• Funding could be better granted to
more pressing social issues.

• People can learn from art and be
inspired by it.

• The healt hcare system needs more
fund ing than t he arts.

• Art encourages creat ivity and promo t es
harmony in society.
C

• Art teaches peop le abou t the ir own
cult ure and hist ory.

• Withou t government fund ing, some
art ists would not be able to wo rk.

• Most artist s do not make enough
money t o support t hemselves.

= • Educati on shou ld be prioritised over art .
• People's basic needs shou ld be put
before luxuries such as art.

• There are enough wealt hy pat rons
around to subsidise t he arts.

Collocations Exercise: Match t he verbs 1 - 5 with t he nouns a) - e) to make common collocat ions.

Answers can be checked in Exercise 2.

1 t o promo t e

a) the arts

2 t o encou rage

b ) harmony

3 t o grant

c) concepts

4 t o com municat e

d ) creativity

5 t o subsidise

e) funding t o sb/sth

9
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;my mP.;rnswithout with ririor writtP.n pP.rmission of thP. mpyright ownP.r.
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IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Censoring the Arts
1 Matching and Categorising Exercise: Match t hese sentence halves. Are the comp leted

sent ences for (+)or against( -) censoring t he arts? See the Answer Key for more ideas for th is top ic.

1 Some art criticises religion

a) creativity without any restrict ions.

2 Children need t o be protec t ed

b) whether a work of art is suitable or

not.
3 Art should encourage
c) and is deep ly offensive.

4 People can decide for t hemselves
d ) from certain forms of art t hat are

unsuitable.

2 Collocations Exercise: Mat ch the verbs 1 - 4 with the nouns a) - d) t o make common

collocati ons.

1 t o fuel

a) hatred

2 t o incite

b ) guidelines

3 t o develop

c) violence

4 t o work wit hin

d ) original ideas

Children Learning Art
For

Against

• Children learn t o express themselves
through creativity.

• Art is not an essential subject for
children to learn it. (3)

• Children enjoy creating images.

• Art will not help children develop useful

skills.

• Children can learn abou t the history
through art. (1)

• Art will not help for children find a job
lat er on . (4)

10
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IELTSlffll

Ideasfor IELTSEssayTopics

• Art can t each a children about the ir
cult ure. (2)

• The school curriculum should focus on
core subjects such as maths and
science.

• Children can develop social skills by
doing art projects .

• Children can pursue the ir interes t in art

at th e home. (5)

Spot the Mistake Exercise: In argumen t s 1 - 5 above, there is one extra word which does not fit.

Spot the incorrec t extra word .

Free Admission to Art Galleries and Museums
For

Against

• Free entry enab les the genera l public to
_____ (1) about t heir own history.

• The money can be used to _____ (3)
and prot ect works of art.

• Children w ill be _____ (2) to visit.

• People _____ (4) what they pay for.

• It helps promote a country 's cultura l
heritage.

• The income from entry fees means that
the governmen t has more money to
spend on more vital areas.

• It promotes nati onal pride .
• Art shou ld be accessible to people o f all

income groups .

• Free adm ission leads to overcrowding ,
which soon d iscourages art - loving
visit ors.
• The money generated from ent ry fees
can _____ (5) for insufficient
government subsidies.

restore

respect

compensate

encourage

learn

Sentence Completion Exercise: Use the correct form of the verbs in the box to comple t e these

argumen t s for and against free admission to art galleries and museums.

11

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson2019
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by
any meanswithout with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
www.ieltsliz.com

IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics
BUILDINGS AND HOUSING

Renting or Buying Houses
Renting

Buying

• It is more economical in the short t erm.
• People can easily downs ize when
money is short.

• Month ly mortgage payments benefit
home owners not landlo rds.
• Buying can be an investment if house
prices rise.

• People are not affect ed by changing
house prices.
• People can relocate more easily for
work.
• The land lord is responsible for repairs
and maintenance, not t he tenant.

• You renovate and decorate as you
want.
• You cannot be asked to

move.

• Your property becomes a reflection of
your lifestyle, a place you can really call
'home'.

1 Sentence Completion Exercise: Complet e these defini t ions wit h a suitable word from the

sent ences about renting / buying a house.
1 A _____ is money you borrow from a bank to buy a house.
2 A _____ is someone who pays for the place they
3 If people or businesses ____ _, t hey

4 If you ____ _, you

livein.

move to a different place.

move to a smaller house or flat.

5 Someth ing that is _____ is not too expensive, so that you are able to buy it.

2 Synonyms Exercise: Find t he odd -one -out in each of the groups of synonyms below.

1 rise/ go up/ climb/ increase/ steep
2 cheap/ affordable/ thr ifty/ low-cost
3 enrich/ spruce up/ do up/ decorate

4 homeless/ str apped for cash/ stone -broke/ hard up

12
Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by
any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
www.ieltsliz.com


IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Planting Trees or Building Houses
Planting Trees

Building Houses

• Green spaces are necessary for people's
wellbeing .

• Overpopu lat ion is a prob lem in most
cit ies.

• Improv ing living condit ions can reduce
crime rat es.

• Poor living conditi ons can result in
serious healt h concerns.

• Trees bu ffer sound.

• Urban space is lim ited and housing is
more essential than trees.

• Trees are an essent ial part o f a city's
ecosystem.

• Without affordable housing, cit ies are
unable to develop fur t her.

• Trees are necessaryfor urban wild life.

• Housing is a basic human need.

1 Sentenc ,e Building Exercise: Put the words and phrases in the correct order to make sentences.

1 will/ without/

living conditions/ suitable/ deteriorate / housing

2 oxygen/ wh ich/ t rees/ air pol lut ion/ produce/ count eracts
3 and/ areas/ relaxation/ parks/ for/ provide/ exercise

4 suitable/ lack/ overpopula t ion/ of/ to/ housing/ leads/ a

2 Question : Do t hese sentences support planti ng trees or build ing houses7

Building Houses in Urban or Rural Areas
Building in Urban Areas

Building in Rural Areas

• More housing in cities will promo te a
bigger workforce.

• New towns can be properly planned in
the count ryside.

• Workers will not need to _____ (1)
long distances to get to work .

• Rural areas offer health ier living
cond itions withou t _____ (3) po llution

13
Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
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any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
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IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics
or _____ (4) prob lems.

• People will be able to walk or cycle to
work.

• The countryside is a better place for
children to be brought up in.

• Walking to work will benefit the
environment.

•

• Many cities have _____ (2) areas t hat
cou ld be turned into housing or public
spaces.

economic developmen t rather than
housing.
• Land in rural areas is cheaper, which will
_____ (5) the cost of housing .

• More people will have access t o publ ic
facil it ies such as librar ies and sports
centres, as these are oft en locat ed in
urban areas.

widespread

commute

Urban areas should be used for

• New job opportun ities wil l _____ (6)
for rural residents.

sanitation

dere lict

open up

reduce

Sentence Completion Exercise: Use t he words in the box to comple t e t he sentences.

Protecting Old Buildings
1 A bui lding is not necessarily valuable just because it is old.

2 Buildings offer an insight into a country's past.
3 Land in cities is needed for businesses and commerce.

4 Many old build inqs are aesthet ically pleasinq to t he eye.

S There are financial advant ages t o attrac t ing tour ists.
6 Old bui ldings represent t he cult ural identity of a count ry.
7 Space is needed for housing to deal wit h overcrowding.
8 The hist or ical or cult ural value of a build ing is more important than its age.
9 Tourist s are drawn toward old historical build ings.
10 Urban space can be bet ter used to promote development.
Categorisation

Exercise: Mark the above arguments for ( + ) or against (-) protecting old buildings.

14

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by
any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
www.ieltsliz.com


IELTSlffll

Ideas for IELTSEssayTopics

Open Plan Office Designs
1 Matching and Categorising Exercise: Match t hese sentence halves. Are the comp leted

senten ces for(+) or against( -) an open plan off ice design 7 See the answer key for more ideas for
t his topic.
1 Illness can spread more easily

a) other people's mess and clutter.

2 It can somet imes feel

b) more communicat ion between staff.

3 It offers a flexible

c) when everyone works in close

proximity.
4 Staff can be affected by
d ) workspace for a high tu rnover of

5 Without walls, there will be

staff.

e) disorganised with a lack of hierarchy.

15
Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by
any means without with prior written permission of the copyright owner.
www.ieltsliz.com