Learn how to structure and respond to IELTS writing questions that ask whether ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐. This will increase your score for task response and cohesion and coherence. The following are included in this post:
- A video explaining how to write this type of essay
- identifying an ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ question type
- the best way to structure the essay
- the best way to respond to the topic
- a model answer
- a homework activity
Identifying this Type of Question
Typical question words include:
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Do you think the positives outweigh the negatives?
Sample task instructions
Currently, many people are working from home instead of going to an office.
Do you think the advantages of working from home outweigh the disadvantages?
Responding to the Question
I favour brainstorming two reasons for the site you support more strongly and one reason for the side you support less strongly. This way you have a mathematical outweigh and this helps justify your opinion. Below are some reasons to support my opinion that the merits outweigh the drawbacks for the sample task above:
- Saves time
- higher productivity
- communication is more difficult
Structure
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Support for opinion
Paragraph 3: Support for opinion
Paragraph 4: However, concession
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
Model Answer
Presently, a significant number of people are opting to work remotely from home rather than commuting to an office setting. I believe the merits of this surpass the drawbacks.
The main benefit of working from home is that it saves time. In particular, it eliminates the need for a daily commute to an office. For example, due to covid lockdowns, I am now working from home and I save over two hours per day by not having to commute to my office. This extra time can be used for other things, such as spending more time with family, exercising, or even taking on a new hobby.
Furthermore, working from oneโs residence can also lead to higher productivity. This is because it eliminates the distractions that come with working in an office environment like noise, and colleagues interrupting. For example, since I started working from home, I no longer get interrupted by my co-workers chatting or stopping by my desk to ask me unnecessary questions.
However, a drawback is that it is harder to communicate with colleagues. This is due to not meeting face-to-face and having to communicate online. This can lead to less effective communication and even misunderstanding of co-workersโ real intentions. To illustrate, it can be difficult to know someoneโs true feelings without seeing their body language.
In conclusion, I believe the benefits of working from home exceed the downsides. This is because the merits of being able to avoid the daily commute to the office and to be more focused on work surpass the difficulty of interacting with others. Furthermore, technology is emerging to assist with communicating more effectively from home such as videoconferencing and the metaverse.
[the last sentence is for band 8 writers and can be left out]
Homework Activity
Some museums and art galleries charge admission fees, while others have free entry.
Do you think the advantages of free admission outweigh the disadvantages?
Get your homework corrected to find out the band score and how to increase it.
Good morning Mike,
what’s in those last sentences of your essays that you always write, which according to you are band 8 sentences?
Usually it is a final comment based on the summary in the conclusion.
There are a large number of museum and art gallery all around the world especially in the developed countries; some of them have admission fee while others are free of charge. I personally believe that the merits of having admission fee outweigh the possible drawbacks. The reasons behind it will be discussed in this essay.
It is admitted that the free admission of the museums and art galleries may attract more people to visit them, nevertheless it would not be many as the reason for which Individuals do not go to the museums on regular basis is not the admission fee as it is usually not expensive. Most of these citizens are not interested in art or history or they might not have enough time to spend on visiting the museums. A recent publication by Oxford University in an art gallery in the downtown London showed that the number of visitors in the first semester of 2018 when people were charged and the next semester that museumโs guests did not pay money were almost similar. Therefore, it is conclusively evident that free admission does not have considerable role in increasing the sum of fans.
Furthermore, every museum or art gallery needs maintenance which is costly and the governments usually are not able to cover all the expenses. Hence, the museums have to find some financial resources to bear the costs. The more practical approach for them is defining an admission fee. For example, French authorities announced that the cost of maintenance for Louvre museum is equal to the yearly budget of the ministry of education in France, so there is no other way except charging the visitors.
To sum up, most museums and art galleries are mandated to cover their expenses via the admission fees and it seems it does not impact on the number of their guests substantially.