At a glance
| Theme | Sample question | Ideas for | Ideas against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Should university be free? | Wider access, more skilled workers | High cost to taxpayers, lower quality if underfunded |
| Technology | Has social media done more harm than good? | Keeps families in touch, spreads information fast | Misinformation, less face-to-face contact |
| Environment | Should governments tax flights more? | Cuts emissions, funds green transport | Hurts tourism, unfair on lower earners |
| Health | Should junk food advertising be banned? | Reduces childhood obesity | Limits free choice, hard to define junk food |
| Work | Is working from home better for employees? | No commute, flexible hours | Isolation, harder to separate work and home |
| Cities | Should cars be banned from city centres? | Cleaner air, safer streets | Harder for disabled people and deliveries |
| Globalisation | Is the spread of global brands harmful? | Cheaper goods, more jobs | Local businesses and cultures lose out |
1How to build your own idea bank
Take one theme a day. Write down three ideas for and three against, each with a short example. After two weeks you will have ideas for almost any question, and you will spend your five planning minutes choosing ideas rather than searching for them.
2Why memorised essays fail
Examiners see the same memorised introductions every day. More importantly, a memorised essay rarely matches the exact question, so it loses Task Response marks. Ideas are reusable; full essays are not.
Practice questions
For each question, think of one idea on each side before you check the suggested answer.
- 1
Should students be required to do unpaid community work as part of their degree?
Answer: For: builds skills and empathy. Against: takes time from study and paid work.
A good essay picks one side as stronger and explains why.
- 2
Are online courses as effective as classroom teaching?
Answer: For: flexible and cheaper. Against: less motivation and fewer chances to ask questions.
An example such as working students makes the "for" side concrete.
- 3
Should older people be encouraged to keep working past retirement age?
Answer: For: experience and income. Against: fewer jobs for the young, health limits.
Note the word "encouraged", which is softer than "required".
- 4
Is it the responsibility of individuals or governments to protect the environment?
Answer: Individuals: daily choices add up. Governments: only laws can change industry.
Many strong essays argue for both, with governments leading.
Up next
Writing Task 2
Essay structure that answers the question
Written by the AdmitVerse team. Last reviewed on . AdmitVerse is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council or IDP. For official rules and test dates, see ielts.org.