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IELTS Band 9 Essays

Do you know the difference between an IELTS Band 6 essay and an IELTS Band 9 essay for Writing Task 2?

Most IELTS students don’t, and this is what prevents them from getting the scores they need.

What does an IELTS Band 9 Essay look like?

An IELTS Band 9 Essay is one that shows the examiner that you are an expert user of English. The official IELTS scale describes an expert user in the following way:

“The test taker has fully operational command of the language. Their use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and shows complete understanding.”

In writing, this means you need to achieve a band 9 in each of the four IELTS marking criteria:

Task response

Coherence and cohesion

Lexical resource

Grammatical range and accuracy.

Here is a description of the marking criteria for an IELTS Band 9 Essay for Writing Task 2:

That’s quite complex, so I’ve simplified it for you:

Answer all parts of the question
Present relevant ideas
Fully explain these ideas
Support ideas with relevant, specific examples

Coherence and Cohesion

Organise your ideas in logical paragraphs
Include an introduction and conclusion
Use cohesive devices (also known as ‘linking words’) accurately
Don’t use too many or too few cohesive devices
Vary your cohesive devices by using synonyms
Try to vary your vocabulary, using accurate synonyms
Use less common topic-specific words that accurately convey meaning
Check your work for spelling and word formation mistakes
Use a variety of complex and simple sentences
Use a variety of appropriate structures
Check your writing for errors

If you want to know more about the marking criteria for other bands, you can download the full Writing Task 2 band descriptors here.

Watch my video below for the biggest differences between an IELTS Band 6 Essay and an IELTS Band 9 Essay.

Opinion essay

Band 9 essay sample .

To see a lesson on the question above, click here .

Discussion essay

Band 9 essay sample , problems and solutions essay , advantages and disadvantages essay .

There are two types of advantages and disadvantages questions:

Type 1 – Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
Type 2 – Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

For more information about these two types of questions, have a look at our page here .

Band 9 Essay Sample (Type 1)

Band 9 essay sample 1 (type 2) .

To see a lesson on both of the questions above, click here .

Double Question essay

Band 9 essay sample, what about task 1 what does a band 9 task 1 answer look like for ielts academic and ielts general training.

Just like for Task 2, a Band 9 Task 1 answer needs to show the examiner that the test taker is an expert user of English who can respond fully to all of the marking criteria.

For more information about how to write a Band 9 Task 1 answer, have a look at our page for Writing Task 1 .

If you’d like to see the marking criteria for IELTS Task 1, you can download a full description here .

For more about the difference between IELTS Academic and IELTS General, check out our page about IELTS preparation here or this page on the official IELTS website .

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7 IELTS Essay Samples of Band 9 Students

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Is it even possible to write a Band 9 essay in IELTS?

Well, it is certainly possible. In fact, not only have I scored a band 9 in writing myself, I have also helped several of my students score band 9 in writing too. If you want to learn the art and science behind scoring an IELTS writing Band 9 (or if you just want to improve your score by a few bands), read on.

Every day we receive 100's of IELTS essays for correction from our students. Our experienced IELTS tutors go over every single word of the essay and mark them based on the criteria specified in the IELTS Band Score Descriptors.

Since a lot of IELTS students struggle in the writing section, we thought we would list out the IELTS Band 9 essay samples that we have seen from our IELTS Twenty20 Course students so far. An important thing to note is that the students who wrote these essays went through several feedback rounds with other essay topics where they perfected the art of writing a good IELTS Task 2 essay. So don't get intimidated if you think you cannot write such essays. Everyone struggles with it and it takes time to improve.

But, before we look at the IELTS Band 9 essay samples, let's first understand how to write the perfect IELTS essay.

How to write an IELTS Band 9 essay?

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you are given brief details of an opinion, an argument or a problem, and have to produce an extended piece of discursive writing (an essay) in response.

You need to write at least 250 words and should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Let's look at a step by step process on how to write a great writing task 2 essay every time ... no matter what the topic.

What are the different types of IELTS essays?

Understand the IELTS writing task 2 marking criteria

When IELTS examiners mark your essays they refer to the IELTS writing band descriptors . Here's what the band descriptors mean in plain English.

Identify the main topic of the essay

If you incorrectly identify the main idea then you CANNOT score above Band 4.
If you present a main idea that is not sufficiently developed and supported by examples then you CANNOT score above Band 6.

Identify all parts of the task

If you address only some parts of the task and not others then you CANNOT score above Band 5.
Even if you identify all parts of the task correctly but fail to cover each of them fully you WILL NOT be able to score above Band 6.

Present a position/opinion

If you do not express a clear position then you CANNOT score above Band 5.
If you do not write a conclusion at the end you CANNOT score above Band 5.
If your conclusion is unclear or repetitive then you CANNOT score above Band 6.

In other words, if you want to score Band 7+, you need to consistently, accurately and appropriately demonstrate the use of all 4 points highlighted above.

Did you think that was all ... nope there's more ...

Even if you do all of the above there is still a chance that you may not be able to score above Band 7. In order to really ensure Band 7+ you need to master the 4 C’s of Essay Writing .

The 4 C's of Essay Writing

Cohesion - refers to words and phrases that help link ideas together.For example:

Because of this ....
It is clear that ...
It can be seen ... etc.

Conciseness - Long sentences do not mean more marks. Run-on sentences will often cause you to lose marks in this area. There are three sentence structures you should be using:

Simple sentence - Contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. For Example - The teacher returned the homework.
Complex sentences - Has an independent clause (simple sentence) joined by one or more dependent clauses (cannot stand alone as a sentence) For Example - The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
Compound sentences - Two simple sentences joined by a coordinator (ex. for, and, or, yet, so). For Example - The teacher returned the homework so everyone got to go home early.

Coherence - How easy is your essay to understand? In order to improve your coherence, proper grammar is a must. You are not there while the essay is being marked, so your ideas need to be clear and easy to understand. Using the cohesive phrases mentioned earlier, can improve the coherence of your essay.

Composition - The structure of your essay (introduction paragraph, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph). A good introduction includes a little background on the topic, a thesis statement, and a preview of the 2-3 main points of your essay. Each body paragraph should include a topic sentence illustrating your point, an example of your point and how it ties into your topic sentence, as well as a concluding sentence that ties this point into your thesis.

Conclusions should reiterate your two or three main ideas from your body paragraphs an restate your thesis again using different words than before. To end your conclusion, you should give a prediction or recommendation on the essay topic.

Note: Remember a proper paragraph has at least 3-4 sentences. Each paragraph should revolve around a main idea, and when you start a new idea, you should start a new paragraph.

How to identify the main topic and all parts of the IELTS essay?

This tutorial will teach you the key steps to identify the main topic and all parts of the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Follow the 3 steps mentioned in the video and you will never go wrong.

How to brainstorm and organise your ideas for IELTS writing task 2?

Once you have identified the topic and question parts for your writing task, the next step is to brainstorm ideas that should become part of your essay. In order to get a good band score it is not enough to just create a list of ideas - you need to extend and explain each of those ideas in detail. Lets look at our example from before:

This tutorial will teach you how to brainstorm and extend your ideas for IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Tips for writing an IELTS band 9 essay

Here's a check list for Writing Task 2. Follow this check list and you are guaranteed to score Band 7+ in IELTS Writing.

First off, read & understand the topic of the essay for Writing Task 2.
Identify all the key parts of the question.
Brainstorm and organise your ideas to ensure that each of your ideas is fully explained and well supported with examples.
If the question asks for your opinion, make sure you state it clearly and you don’t contradict that view throughout the rest of the essay.
Learn the structure of an essay: Introduction , body paragraphs, conclusion
Do not copy the question word for word for your introduction or else those words will be deducted from your total word count. Instead always paraphrase the question in your own words.
You MUST write a conclusion/overview at the end. Don’t add new information in your conclusion. Instead, rephrase your key points, and give a strong ending sentence that ties everything together.
Always write in a formal tone and use it consistently throughout the essay.
Do not use bullet points or short notes.
Use a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary.
Remember to follow the 4 C's of essay writing.
Practice and learn synonyms so your writing has a range of vocabulary and does not become repetitive.
Write at least 250 words. Anything less, you will lose marks.Ideally the essay should be about 250-280 words.
Write neatly, as the person who is marking your essay should be able to easily read and understand what you have written.
Do Task 2 first, as it is worth twice as much as Task 1, so priority should be placed here.

Practice makes perfect. Write as many practice essays as you can, and have them marked by an English teacher for mistakes.

Practice timing yourself at home, and stick to the allotted time for each section. During the real test, bring a watch and manage your time carefully.
Check your writing. If you finish with extra time, look over your essay for any spelling, grammar, or other mistakes you might find.

Frequently asked questions about IELTS Writing Task 2

Q: Will I lose marks if I write too many words (400-500) in my essay?

A: There is no penalty for writing more than 250 words for writing task 2. However, there are also no extra marks for writing more. In fact, the more you write, the more you may end up making spelling or grammar mistakes. It is much better to write around 280 words within 35 minutes and spend the last 5 minutes reviewing your work for mistakes.

Q: Will I lose marks if my handwriting is very poor?

A: In IELTS, handwriting does not affect your scores directly. The scoring rubric does not have any points for handwriting. However, it affects your score indirectly. i.e if your handwriting is illegible, the examiner will think that you have misspelled a word and will mark you lower on lexical resources. The examiner will not give you the benefit of doubt if she is not sure about the words you have written.

Moreover, handwriting also affects the overall impression on the examiner. Remember that IELTS examiners are humans and like all humans they form their first impressions looking at your handwriting. The clearer your work, the better first impression you will make on the examiner.

Click here for recent IELTS exam topics and questions from all over the world

Finally, here are the 7 examples of band 9 essays.

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 1 -Fresh water demand causes and measures

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 2 - Forests are the lungs of the earth

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 3 - Job and money

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 4 - Aim of University Education

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 5 - International Tourism

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 6 - Image is a more powerful way of Communicating

IELTS Writing Sample Essay 7 - Work or travel between finishing high school and starting university

For more IELTS tutorials and feedback for speaking and writing tasks, sign up for IELTS Twenty20 Online Course today! Use Promo Code AUSSIE to get 10% discount at checkout. Study 20 minutes a day for 20 days and Ace the IELTS exam.

Note: we have recently added more ielts band 7, 8 and 9 model answers for speaking and writing tasks. check them out., free ielts level check.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Band 9

The IELTS writing task 2 sample answer below has examiner comments and is band score 9. The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments.

Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?

Social networking sites, for instance Facebook, are thought by some to have had a detrimental effect on individual people as well as society and local communities. However, while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.

With regards to individuals, the impact that online social media has had on each individual person has clear advantages. Firstly, people from different countries are brought together through such sites as Facebook whereas before the development of technology and social networking sites, people rarely had the chance to meet or communicate with anyone outside of their immediate circle or community. Secondly, Facebook also has social groups which offer individuals a chance to meet and participate in discussions with people who share common interests.

On the other hand, the effect that Facebook and other social networking sites have had on societies and local communities can only be seen as negative. Rather than individual people taking part in their local community, they are instead choosing to take more interest in people online. Consequently, the people within local communities are no longer forming close or supportive relationships. Furthermore, society as a whole is becoming increasingly disjointed and fragmented as people spend more time online with people they have never met face to face and who they are unlikely to ever meet in the future.

To conclude, although social networking sites have brought individuals closer together, they have not had the same effect on society or local communities. Local communities should do more to try and involve local people in local activities in order to promote the future of community life.

Comments : This essay shows you the organisation of ideas into paragraphs and also how a clear answer is given in the thesis statement in the introduction and then supported and explained in full throughout the essay. You will also see paraphrasing for advantage / disadvantage language which can be useful for you in other essays. Furthermore, the word length of this essay is typical for anyone aiming for band score 6, 7 or above. Words 280

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This e-book contains ideas and vocabulary exercises for over 150 common IELTS essay topics. It is now available with my Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons and my Grammar E-book in my store. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

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I have a question regarding an opinion essay. This is the task:

“Prevention is better than cure”. Researching and treating diseases is too costly so it would be better to invest in preventative measures. To what extend do you agree?

My question is – when I give the ideas, should I give them from an individual’s perspective (e.g. taking supplements is a way of prevention and it’s cheaper than treatment), or should I give it from a macro perspective (e.g. researching vaccinations is more costly than educating people to prevent diseases).

Thanks in advance for your guidance 🙂

As the question relates to “research and treating diseases”, we can take this question as relating to the perspective of government health funding. Some IELTS do relate to individuals and when that is the case, the wording is usually very clear.

Thank you, Liz. This is very helpful.

Many people are of the belief that individuals and members of the society have had a huge negative impact due to social media sites like Facebook. While I partially agree with this statement however, Facebook has provided somewhat benefits to the society as well.

We live in a digital age where we are constantly surrounded by social media and the content it produces, Facebook being one of it. Today, anybody can sign up on the platform and start using it immediately without any security checks making it not entirely safe for the user. Like mentioned earlier, anybody can open up an account and start posting, allowing political parties to push through their agenda through these sites and on to the screens of the juvenile population.

As one might expect adults to be mindful about what they post on the social networking sites, it is not always the case for every adult. Social media sites like Facebook are not particularly safe for the younger population as it can be extremely manipulative and vulgar at times. It can be especially harmful in kids between 13-19 years of age where they could easily lose their confidence to the glamorous facade put up by these networking sites.

Facebook though exploitative at times, does have a few advantages. One of them is bringing people closer throughout the globe. Families can get in touch with friends and relatives living abroad with a simple click. Numerous small businesses who do not have the means to pay for advertising can easily promote their brand on Facebook.

To conclude, arguably Facebook has had some amounts of negative impact on the society, although it has paved a way for people to connect and get closer.

I know Liz doesn’t do review. But I would appreciate if other students like me could review my essay.

Some parents buy their children a large number of toys to play with. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the child of having a large number of toys?

Many a parent make a large purchase of toys for their kids to harness or play with, in my unequivocal stance, this notion provides advantages such as more leisure activities for kids, however poor academic performance, and reduced inter personal relationship are undeniable disadvantages. This essay will further examine the pragmatic advantages and disadvantages of this view.

To begin, owning a myriad of toys provide a lot of benefits to kids. However the leading advantage of this notion is the creation of a fun leisure activity for kids. Kids with a lot of toys tend to have more fun in comparison to their counterparts who own only a handful of playing materials or games. In addition to having a fun filled leisure time they possess a variety of toys, games, and playing materials, which makes the kids more entertained. A notable example would be the research paper by a renowned psychologist Mr. John Ata which reported that 92% of kids with a large number of toys have more fun during leisure hours compared to kids with less toys.

It is equally important to mention that some drawbacks are associated with this phenomenon. A substantial drawback is that it affects the academic results of children. It is a prominent fact that kids that own a variety of toys spend a lot more hours playing, and this exceeds the recommended daily leisure time of 2 hours. Furthermore, this has a negative impact on their academics, and learning ability. In 2022 an academic paper released by China recorded that 100% of kids with a lot of toys have difficulties learning. Also, poor interpersonal relationship is a notable downside to this notion, because of the extra hours spent playing with games kids have little to no time interacting with individuals of the same age range. In most cases children in this situation prefer to spend more time at home playing, than interacting, socializing, and building social relationships with their pairs.

In conclusion, a fun packed leisure time is a phenomenal advantage of this view. However poor academic results, and lack of communication skills are undeniable disadvantages. Therefore, parents or guardians should maximize the benefits, and manage the drawbacks effectively to create a balance.

Social networking sites, for instance, Facebook, have had a big detrimental effect on individual people and communities. While social media is beneficial in some ways, I believe that the negative impacts go beyond the advantages. With regards to individuals, the presence of Facebook can lead to scamming. So many people become victims in recent times. Scammers take other user’s photos on Facebook easily and then use these photos for crime. Additionally, Facebook is often deemed to be dangerous due to adolescent kidnappings being burgeoning. The criminals pretend to be someone else to attract teenagers to meet and kidnap them. Furthermore, establishing relationships through social media inclines to be full of pretentious. Users often polish their image, social status, and even profile pictures which may lead to fake relationships as well. Undesirable outcomes are happening badly in society owing to social network usage. People tend to gather with their communities online, instead of attending physical gatherings. It is not a good attitude because people tend to be indifferent to their intermediate community. Moreover, the intermediate cycle is essential to make people grow into well-rounded human beings. People live in real life, and for this reason, involving in such real communities is considerable as a means to help themselves fulfill their natural traits as social beings. Likewise, people are more likely to have stronger bonds in real communities instead of online. To conclude, social media sites have had a huge unfavorable result both for individuals and communities starting from crimes and faking identities to forming apathetic individuals.

The question of whether social media or networking platforms (Facebook) created a myriad of societal and individual problems is a subject of ongoing debate, while many a person argue against this view; in my unequivocal stance, I strongly support this notion. This essay will provide further examination on my nuance opinion.

To begin, since the inception of social media they have been a paradigm shift from the traditional social networking to a technological form of communication, and this phenomenon has developed a plethora of drawbacks. Firstly, the harnessing of social networks has promoted crimes in the society; individuals use these platforms as a tool to facilitate crime. A popular crime as a result of social networking is internet scamming, also known as catfishing. In continuation, individuals can claim the identity of others, and use this to swindle, deceive, and steal from innocent victims. Furthermore, a notable example is the prominent scam that occurred in 2012 in Nigeria; a set of fraudulent individuals claimed the identity of an airport owner (Mr David Orma) and sold an airport to a company, thereby defrauding the company of $5,000,000.

It is equally important to mention that the detriments of social networking on a smaller scale affects individuals. The use of Facebook by individuals for communication has significantly reduced interpersonal relationships. People no longer have physical social gatherings, discussions, meetings and relationships. In some cases, parent to child relationship has been ruined, because of the use of Facebook. A report from a renowned journalist illustrates that since the introduction of Facebook 88% of parents no longer have a good relationship with their kids, this is because people tend to communicate more over the internet.

In conclusion, high crime rate, and lack of interpersonal communication are undeniable drawbacks of social networking. However, people who desire to use Facebook should manage its drawbacks efficiently, while maximizing its potential benefits.

Hi Liz, i hope you doing well. if i want to write the introduction as a balanced opinion, can i write it like the following?

“social networking sites, for instance Facebook, are thought by some people to have had a harmful effect on individual people as well as local community. However, while I believe that such cites are beneficial for individuals and Society, I agree that they have a rather damaging effect on them”

and then BP1 discuss the benefits of social media and BP2 discuss the negative effect of them.

My main question is why you are writing about “cities” in your thesis statement. This essay isn’t about cities, it’s about social media. Also, the word “society” does not have a capital letter. Both of these mistakes will negatively impact your score. About the approach, your essay is only 290 words long (that is the usual max), you don’t have time to write pros and cons of both social media on individuals and social media on society. Lastly, you have turned an Opinion Essay into an Adv/Disad essay or a Discussion Essay. Present a clear position on social media for individuals and social media on society than is clear position for each. For example, you think it is positive for both, you think it is negative for both or you think one if positive and one is negative – all three options are clear opinions for an IELTS Opinion Essay.

Hi Liz, please go through my writing and make corrections 🙏

It is believed by majority of people that social networking sites such as Facebook has a detrimental effect on individual as well as the society.However, while social media have a positive impact on individual, I personally agree that it is of more damaging especially to the society.

Firstly, regarding the positive impact it has on individuals, social networking provide a means of communication between people that are far away from each other especially does from different countries; it also provide a means for people to advertise their products and businesses to help them make income and become popular sometimes.

On the other hand, it brings a lot of damages to the community and society at large because of the way people are now occupied with social networking the tend to give a nonchalant attitude to something important especially when it comes to adolescence there is no more respect or positive contribution to the development of their community as all they are interested in is going online most of their times. People now give value to what they do online more than their real-life. furthermore, most individual become engaged in competition with their peer group and this result to them doing some unspeakable things, hurting people in order to make money and show off and increasing rate of fake life. As a result of this, community and society is fast becoming disjointed, people now prefer to make friends online with people they have never met before than the ones they see face to face.

To conclude, although social networking have bring a lot of people together it has done otherwise to the community and society at large. The society should find should find a solution to that by bringing people locally together and engaging them on activities that will bring them together. That way people meet and interact physically other than always going online.

I don’t offer a feedback service. However, I will say you need to go back to my model essays and learn the proper balance and length of paragraphs. Having a long conclusion is a waste of time and won’t help your score. Having body paragraphs that are not equal in length will lower your score. This is the main writing task 2 page on my website: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

length also matters?…some expertise say that if examiner easily understand your thoughts then he or she will give you good band score even your essay length will be short or long

Ideas are only marked as to whether they are relevant and well explained. One idea is not a higher band score than other as long as it is relevant and well explained. So, any teacher telling you that one idea is a higher band score than another has not understood the marking criteria probably because they weren’t trained as an examiner.

Recent research has shown that the usage percentage of social networking sites has been considerably increasing for a decade. Given that, the majority of the population believes such networking sites as Facebook have a catastrophic effect on not only individuals but also society. I, personally, find positive impacts on individuals; however, for the community, it is a total disaster. To begin with the impact on individuals, there are significant benefits that can not be avoided. The most useful point which is special just to the internet is the fact that there are no issues about the location for being able to communicate. You can talk to anybody, whenever and wherever you want no matter how many kilometers you have between your locations. This leads you to have the possibility for talking about numerous topics without any restrictions from your common interests to scientific researchs. As a result, for making new friends and thus for socializing, social networking sites are the best opportunities that should not be missed. Yet, the presence of some advantages individually does not eliminate side effects on society. If people start to socialize by only making use of social media like Facebook and Instagram, whole the society begins to crack due to people not seeing each other in real life. Society’s existence is thanks to the people taking part in group activities, working under collaborative circumstances, and spending a considerable amount of time together. But the more prevalent social networking usage becomes, the fewer people can stand seeing each other. In conclusion, social networking sites are advantageous places for mostly socializing individually, yet, there are more serious side effects exceeding the positive points. So, people should pay more attention to having relationships with the community so that, the term ‘society’ won’t disappear.

Anyone (especially, Dear Liz), who is an expert might evaluate my essay with proper feedback.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic. It is now possible for scientists and tourists to travel to remote natural environments, such as the South Pole. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

In recent years, Travelling to remote areas becoming more popular with scientists and tourists for convenient scientific developments. There are noticeable positive outcomes with drawbacks both in the natural environment and the living species.

First of all, In the last decades, scientific innovation and progress in different sectors resulted in more easily accessible transportation to rural areas which are far from the downtowns. For scientific analysis, a large number of researchers making crowd those areas for new scientific analysis for different parameters. For instance, exploring the fossils in those areas to get ideas about the ancestors of these specific regions. Secondly, While adventurous people always visit new ancient remote areas to satisfy their minds by knowing the unknown places more practically rather than watching TV programs. Finally, places always developing with tourists friendly facilities and increasing the revenue in national funds for these eco-friendly activities, particularly, excessive new-comer spending their money for various purposes including hotel room facilities, meals, and souvenirs. Which positively impacts the world economy and the living standards of local people providing them with more working opportunities.

Whereas, there are many negative aspects to these easily accessible traveling opportunities. Both scientific purpose and tourism activities directly impacting on the local environment and the existing species as well as the local community’s lifestyle. The regional species, particularly, those migrating to a quieter and more natural environment lead a normal life without the disturbance of human economy-boosting activities. Furthermore, many old species have been extinct and right now existing species are almost endangered to extinction from those remote areas. Another concern is almost rising at an alarming rate, certainly environmental pollution. People visiting those places, dumping their wastes here and there, and destroying the eco-system, including plastic materials, those regional environments resulted in different challenging problems for the natives.

In conclusion, the advancement of scientific research facile transportation to even remote areas, like the South Pole, for scientists and tourists with positive and negative impacts on the environment. Corresponding authorities should regulate these activities with proper concern without affecting nature and the species in a specific region.

Please read this page: https://ieltsliz.com/how-many-words-ielts-writing/ and then read all tips on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . If you need detailed tutorials about writing an essay specifically for IELTS for a high score, go to my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . You should be aiming for accuracy with grammar and vocabulary – don’t aim to impress and never take risks. Aim for error free sentences.

Hi please let know how my writing has come along?

In today’s day and age, it has become far more accessible to reach remote areas for scientists and tourists. There are noticeably positive outcomes with drawbacks both in natural environment and the living species.

In ancient times, scientists or tourists would have difficulty in reaching such destinations such as the south pole. But today with scientific developments and studying the natural environment it has become a joy to travel. There are many advantages for scientists and tourists who want to travel for research purposes or adventure. Firstly, for instance, scientists can research fossils in those areas to get in-depth knowledge about the ancestorial landscape. Secondly, tourists, adventure enthusiasts especially travel to explore the wild life, natural beauty of the region, get a breath of fresh air, newness etc.

Whereas, there are many negative aspects as well. Both incoming of scientists and tourists to remote areas has an effect on the local livelihood. The reason for this is that due to the inhabitation of ancestorial species, they are used to a certain lifestyle, the peace and quiet. And when unknown people start coming in, it disrupts their day to day lifestyle. They lead a normal life without the disturbance of human economy-boosting activities. Hence, people visiting these places, dumping their wastes here and there, and destroying the eco-system results in different challenging problems for the natives.

In conclusion, with the advancements of scientific research and development for researches and tourists to travel to such remote areas will always have its positive and negative impact on the environment. Corresponding authorities should regulate these movements with proper concern and not affect the nature and species of this specific region.

It is assumed by many people that social media is creating a detrimental effect on both individuals and society. However, a healthy percentage of people are getting benefitted by its proper usage and implementations in social life although a specific group of people might be using social sites, for instance Facebook in an adverse way which is creating a negative impact in our social community and locality.

To begin with, social media like Facebook has created a drastic change in people’s communication through internet all over the world. Website like this has brought people from all countries around the world in a single tent for communication. Though the communication is initially virtual but soon people are getting to know each other which is serving the purpose of meeting in real life with their loved ones or with their families. Aside of it, some of the other advantages that social media is impacting in our daily life such as; creating business opportunities, helping us to know about the current world information and news updated, creating awareness among people about social norms and duties. The main fruitful thing that can be described as is social media in letting us to know about other people’s culture, norms and activities etc.

On the other side, as we have discussed so many positive sides of social media it has some detrimental sides too that is enhancing some real-life problems in our society and local community. As the main purpose of social media was to connect people but now a days it is seen that this tool is being misused by some of the people for creating fake profiles and pretending to be someone else as a result people on the other side of the screen might be outplayed with a fake emotion. Also, among young generations the dependency and the usage of social media is way too time consuming which is creating a mental distortion gradually. Adding with that, the utmost negative impact that is creating real life problems is vague news and its spread. As a result, people gets more confused in their decision making whom to support and whom to deny. Beside of that, Scammers trading with money, Negative content are threat to our future generation and also for us.

In conclusion I want to agree with the fact that although social media is helping us in many ways in our social life but it has an immense effect in our cultural diversity to get provoked as long if we don’t use it properly. As long as some specific policies and regulations are maintained for its usage, I think that the damage is limited to rare and special cases.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

It’s believed by many people that social networking sites have led to serious detrimental effects on both individual people as well as society and local communities. However, there are numerous beneficial effects of using such sites for the individual and some of the adverse outcomes for the society and local communities.

With regard to the individual persons, the usage of social media sites has given the opportunity to identify the people with the common interests, who are miles away, which was not available before the development of such websites. Besides, It has been easier to establish a face to face connection within seconds with our loved ones, even when they are far away from us.

On the other hand, the continuous usage of social meadia might end up with a dependent behavior, which results in the separation of societal and family bonds. Other than that, believing the facts on online as it is might lead to serious family issues too.

In my conclusion, although the social networking sites keep the individuals closer together, it has a number of considerable negative impacts on society and local communities. Therefore, it is our responsibility to use those sites for he betterment of overselves.

You write : use those sites for he betterment of Overselves

Mistakes: ourselves and you write he in place of the

Hi Liz, Thank you so much for all your time, guidance and help. Really appreciate the content you keep on posting. Have been following your posts since 2019, got 9 in listening, 7.5 overall then. I am planning to write again for GT

here is my response: 274 words

A few individuals believe that cellphones are a bane for kids, whereas others don’t believe in the same. In my opinion, though cellphones are now an indispensable part of any urban human and has multiple benefits, their demerits do exist and those make it more harmful than helpful to children.

Though one can still be in quandary about the ill-effects of cellphones on adults, their impact has been far more detrimental for kids. These devices operate entirely on wireless radiations, and there has been an exponential rise in such radiation. As children’s brain is in development stage, and their skull is still fragile; damages from such radiations can be fatal. Additionally, prolonged exposure to phone’s display is quite detrimental for eyesight and sleep cycle. Moreover, new cellphones (smartphones) can host a lot of social-media applications. As children are growing, so do their hormonal changes, they are more inquisitive about such digital platforms. Though there are age-restriction on these sites, those are easily bypassed by them. Things get sinister when some spoilt peers introduce others to pornographic content which has been known to biologically alter hormonal and psychological patterns in kids.

Though, despite above, phones do offer some benefits such as means of instant communication, exchange of notes, access to free and global online resources, most of these benefits are also available on personal laptops or institute’s kiosks. In case of dire needs, students can access these resources on such kiosks, where students can be prohibited from accessing social or adult content. Hence, though cellphones are now an indispensable part of human life, owing to their detrimental impacts, children should refrain using those.

While many believe that social networking sites impacting both the society and the individual in negative manner, I argue that its certainly impacting social life negatively however, it has positive impact on individuals. With innovation of technology and reach to smart phones by common people has increased the number of people using social networking sites significantly in recent years. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and many more became basic needs of people. This revolution in technology has brought many benefits to people. Now people to people interaction have increased and it has no boundaries. They can easily talk to other people who are located at different part of the globe. Distance, time zone, boarders doesn’t matter anymore. This interaction helps them to enhance their knowledge, grow their business and much more. People can create any type social cause over these social media platforms and get other people’s support from world-wide. While this improvement in technology has benefitted the individuals, it has some drawbacks on society. For example, now people spend more time on these types of platforms rather than spending time in society or social activities. Face to face interaction is minimized, which certainly brings gap in local social group. Many old, aged people are not able to cope with technology and find it very difficult to interact with other people. In conclusion, As with any other invention, technology also has some drawbacks, however if people make smart choices they can surely get rid of these drawbacks and get maximum benefit of this technology revolution in the form of social networking sites.

Today, advancements in technology have brought forth tons of electronic devices that serve to increase the quality of one’s life. Accompanying this would be the surge in social networking sites for people to communicate using these devices. However, many believe social networking platforms have affected society and its people in a negative way. In my opinion, though the presence of social networks has invited several benefits into our lives, I agree that the adverse effects of social media are noticeable. Hence, one has to regulate his or her usage of social media in order to enjoy the advantages without the disadvantages. To begin, social networking sites has allowed many to communicate with their loved ones despite being separated by long distances. With the help of social media, we are able to converse with the ones we miss via text messages, audio messages or even video calls without the trouble of traveling hours to meet them. Besides that, the widening of our social circle has been made easier as a result of sites such as Facebook and Twitter, allowing us to acquaint ourselves with strangers which can be achieved with just a few taps on the screens of our smartphones. By utilizing the above advantages brought to us by social networking sites, a myriad of time can be conserved. However, social media is not without flaws. By allowing people to communicate without meeting up or seeing each other in real life, social media has transformed society into an introverted one, one that resists any sort of physical communication if it can be done online. When people are accustomed to chatting with one another online, it is without a doubt that their social skills will degrade significantly as they no longer have ’emojis’ to express their feelings. Ultimately, we are left with a society that is fragmented in real life and only operable in the virtual world. In conclusion, social networking sites has allowed us to connect with the people we love who are far away from us and thus save us plenty of time in the process. Despite the merits, our society is no longer filled with outgoing people, but those who are lacking in social skills and refuse physical communication, hence resulting in a broken society. Therefore, it is our own responsibility to not be overly reliant on social networking sites to obtain the results that were intended for us in the first place.

It is undeniable fact that learning a foreign language is more popular now a days. Although some people might consider that it is batter for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school. On the other hand some people might believe that learning a foreign language at secondary school is beneficial , but I believe that learning a foreign language at primary school is extremely beneficial not only because child’s brain is analogous to be empty hard disk that can be uploaded more quickly at this age . Small kids memories the talent, and it is considered that learning a new accent required a strong memory.

This essay will explore who these factors make this development a positive one.

Their are multiple benefits of this development . Firstly one of the major advantage of this development is that they have more space in their mind because their minds are empty they have more ability too gain knowledge and learning a new accent is not too be much difficult for childrens. For example, my younger brother learning a foreign language in his primary school and he almost have done this. Thus,this benefit can almost handedly make this development positive.

Secondly, another major benefit linked with this development is that children have strong memory and it is considered that accent can be learn be a strong memory. All the talent is begin from childhood. For instance, my older sister have a talent of swing clothes and she learned from her childhood. Hence, this benefit can clearly over shadow any disadvantage.

To conclude, I believe that this development is an overall positive development interm of these advantages

Social media ever since its inception has taken the world by storm. It is not uncommon to find a person with a social media account even in the remotest of the areas. Such has been its profound impact that most of the top brands these days use social media for its promotion. Some of us opine that these social networking sites are impacting the individual as well as the society at large. I agree that these networking sites are useful in crisis times but mostly feel that these sites are doing more harm than good for the following two reasons. First of all, decision making in this generation is severely impaired due to influence of social media sites. People these days are compelled to base their opinion on sources which can be hardly termed as fool proof due to its abundance. This information is butter fed into an individual mind in a implicit way, before the person recognising it. Take for instance, the way political campaigns are being run these days only with an aim to drive their own agenda, projecting their view which will be beneficial to them. True, a mature person can still see through these filters, but the same cannot be guaranteed for teen minds, who form the majority of the users for these applications. Their nascent minds will be damaged beyond repair, ultimately affecting the society’s future of which they are a part of. Second of all, fake ad campaigns claiming money for self-motives have increased manifold with advent of social media sites. The major issue concerning these campaigns is that even genuine contributions are going into wrong hands; what does it mean is that when the real person is in need of help, he hardly gets it. The above issue is becoming a huge predicament for those people in need. Generous people who come forward to help are forced to think twice. Non-availability of help for those who require it even with the abundance of donors is a bane for the society for which social media sites are one of the prime reasons. There are some good things arising out of these sites, like blood donors availability, communication for help during natural calamities etc. In the times of disaster, they play a very handy role in helping the deserved. But that said, they require internet connection to work, which might not always be the case, especially in the time of crisis. To conclude, these social media sites help us in some ways subjected to some limitations like network connectivity. Considering this and the negative impacts it brings to the table, like influencing young immature minds, providing platform for fake ad-campaigns I mostly opine that these are mostly harming the individual as well as a society.

Social networking site (such as Facebook) is believed by many people to have negative effect for both individual and society. However, while I believe there is negative impacts, these effects are small compared to benefit the site offers. Firstly, some people that think about negative effect are just looking at small cases in their surroundings. For example, they see that the youth is addicted to social media such Facebook. They cannot stop checking and looking at site’s newsfeed. However, this is just because the people they observed are them who does not have ability to manage priority and time. Meanwhile, compared to those small amount of sample, it’s observed that in adult and working environment people are not addicted to the media. Hence, if an individual could manage their priority and time, the negative impacts should be nothing. Secondly, in this modern era, information is gold. That means whoever has the information will have more advantage in life than who does not. Social media is the major factor for information transfer. In a blink of eye, wherever and whenever we are, we could send and get information to other people. Not only that, the most critical value of social media is it can influence many people, society, and even a country, because everyone could present his opinion and argument and then persuade others.

In the end, although social media can ruin life of an individual, the positive impacts its offer are greater than negative effects. People who have a problem in time and priority management, should be taught how to manage it.

It is thought by many people that some social media websites affect the individuals, and the society, in a negative impact. I agree that social networking websites such as Facebook and Youtube can distract some people while others can benefit from them.

People who use social media intensively will be distracted from doing their daily tasks. A lot of people spend most of their time on Facebook, Youtube and other applications watching videos, putting likes and posting comments, at the end of the day they discover that they lost most of their day doing nothing. For instance, I am addicted to the online pages on Facebook and I was always buying a lot of things from those pages. While I was preparing for the IELTS exam, I realized that I am wasting my time and I have to do something to stop this. I deleted the applications that distracted me and I became more focused on my studies. When each individual is affected like the way that I got, the society will face a distracted generation in the future. This is why such social networks have sometimes a negative impact on individuals and society.

On the other hand, social networking websites can help people in achieving their tasks. A lot of websites and applications provide an easy way to communicate and giving assistance. Since Facebook is a universal application, a lot of people use it, thus, it is easy to make connection with others and looking for a teacher or an information using it. For example, a student can find a lot of resources on the websites to look for an information. It is easier to the students to use social media websites rather than leaving their home and wasting time on looking for someone to help, nowadays, this can be done by just searching on the websites. This will save more time and each individual can achieve more in their day which leads to a productive society. That’s why social networks are important to individuals and in turn to the society.

To conclude, although networks distracted some individuals from achieving their tasks that happens due to the addiction that they got, other individuals can take the advantage of these websites and use them correctly. This will be reflected on the whole society.

Hello Mrs Liz, please evaluate my essay. It has been considered by some individuals that harmfulness of social media such as Facebook have hit not only people but communities as well. In my standpoint, social media has negative and positive impacts, both. However, its positive impacts outweigh its negative effects on people and societies. first of all, at this age, technology has been evolving rapidly that even mankind have been able to invent internet and by using internet they have been capable of making social media platforms to connect people all over the world. social network such as Facebook is an application that made it possible for us to get connected with friends and families no matter where we live. Besides, this application has made us able to share our knowledge and our photos and many more to the characters all around the globe. Nevertheless, despite having countless advantages, social networks do have negative impacts as well. Frequently usages of social media can cause addiction. In addition, it will cause us fail in real life while we are busy watching others life styles. Instead of learning and gaining knowledge, most of our young generation tend to scroll on social media a lot and waste their crucial time. At the end they will be facing difficulties in real life. in conclusion, spending and allocating a limited time for using social media is not only good but beneficial. However, wasting most of our time on it will cause negative impacts.

Many individuals think that social networking sites, for instance Facebook, have had damaging effect on individuals as well as local communities and societies. For this essay, I will discuss why disagree that social networking sites have damaging effect on individuals and agree that these sites have damaging effect on the societies. Social networking sites have less adverse effect on individuals. Firstly, it has been seen that a major way people meet new people and make new friends are from these platforms. An individual can be in Nigeria and meet a new person from Australia via Facebook. Having a close relationship by keeping close communication daily on this platform, these two can eventually become life partners. Secondly, it has been reported from a research done by Frank Idowu in 2019, that most people become aware and participate in seminars, workshops and meetings on social networking sites. This has helped reduce the stress of physical meetings. Social networking sites have detrimental effect on the local communities. In a world of technology, most people advertise their business majorly through social media platforms. Firstly, a survey carried out by Seyi Makinde, a student of University of Ibadan reported that most people in Ibadan buy most of the things they need from online stores. This in turn has affected the sales of physical stores in Ibadan. Secondly, I strongly agree that social networking sites are of detrimental effects to the societies because most people spend more time meeting new friends online than building relationships with those in their local communities. In conclusion, social networking sites are of great benefit for an individual to meet new friends and build a career network. However, they have detrimental effect on communal relationships.

It is thought by many people that social networking sites and applications have a detrimental effect on people as well as society. While I agree that there could be some harmful effects of using these sites, I believe that the negative impact can occur only when there is an addiction to the usage of these apps. Otherwise, they are mainly beneficial to the individual. People tend to consider social networking sites as a negative development for many different reasons. Firstly, when people spend excessive time on these types of sites, meeting with new people, Without real interaction in the real world, they might find it hard to differentiate between reality and illusion. In other words, people usually try to show their perfect aspects on these sites; thus, it will be difficult to know a person’s real and moral behaviour through online chatting. Secondly, spending too much time could lead to a low academic performance for young students or low productivity for adults. Consequently, this will have a damaging effect on society. On the other hand, such networking sites have brought numerous advantages to humans, and these adverse effects can only be present when there is an addiction to these types of sites. One possible benefit of these sites is that they help people to communicate easily no matter what is the distance or barrier and without any restrictions. Owing to this, the world is considered a small village, and people can keep up with their friends and relatives all around the earth. Another positive aspect of these apps is that they help introverted people to socialize better, particularly when a person is shy to meet face to face. In conclusion, while social networking sites have negatively affected both individuals and the community, I believe that overall, these sites brought many advantages to humans and society, and the damage is only limited to rare and special cases.

The introduction of social media has made life so much less complicated for mankind. However, a group of people believe that social networking sites does more harm then good to an individual and the community. I completely disagree with this notion and in this essay i will discuss why i disgree

To begin with, prior to the introduction of modern technology people used to communicate with there family, friends or loved one through letters and landline phone calls. This method of communication was not only expensive but also very time consuming, however with the luxury of social media such as facebook, twitter, instagram people can easily interact with there loved ones by making video calls, whereby they can see them even being miles away and simply sending them a message which they will receive instantly. It also has the feature whereby people can post pictures and update there closed one about there daily lifesFurthermore, social networking sites can also be very informative in many ways such as keeping us updated with the daily news around the world, the latest trend in clothes, life hacks and also about our health and wellbeings. This helps us to stay on par with the rest of the world.

On the contrary, the negative impacts of social media can be that many people have started to spend more time on these social media app rather than going out and meeting people in there community. Instead They choose to interact woth people online whom they have neber met befire or may probably never meet in the future. It has also reduced the amount of time people spend outdoors to indulge in physical activities as they are constantly stuck to there phone or computer browsing through social media. This as a result has taken a toll at people health with introduction of non communicable disease like heartattck and diabetes

To conclude, the benefits of social media outweighs the the drawbacks as it not only helps us to keep in touch with people who live far but also keeps us updated with whats trending around the globe

Social media websites have suffered great criticism, as many people believe that such platforms shown to be have great negative effects, i totally agree with this notion since they’re perceived to be addictive and linked to high rates of depression among teenagers.

Despite the popularity of social media sites, famous platforms such as Facebook and Instagram been proved to cause addiction, designed in a way to keep users hooked, more and more people of all ages are spending long hours liking each other’s pictures, texting, and doing whatever, causing dopamine spikes in their minds, making it harder to find motivation to accomplish something through the day and as a result end up neglecting other aspects of life.

Another huge negative impact is the role such sites play in highlighting differences in lifestyle, causing envy among young people and creating the favorable conditions in which hate speech can be normalized, promoting bullying and as a result, rising depression rates among teenager. A clear example of the effect social media has on the youth is a case that made controversy in the USA, a story of a young teenager that took his friend to court, bullied by him on Facebook, the teenager’s friend tried to push him to suicide recommending it a solution for his mental problems causing him greater deal of pain and worsening his depression.

To conclude, the purpose of social media sites was to improve people’s lives bringing them closer, out of charge, offering a better alternative to paid cellular communication, However, ironically, the effect these platforms had was worser than we thought causing individuals and society more bad than good.

Impressive 👍 essay keep it bro❤️

In order to minimize the pressure health care sector is ought to deal with due to rising numbers of health problems related to obesity, some people think that adding physical exercise sessions to school curriculums is the most efficient approach. In my view, making students physically active isn’t the key to solving this overweight pandemic, as I think, having good eating habits is more important.

On one hand, adding sport lessons to children can be of great help because it will improve their overall heath making them more fit as they grow by spreading a culture of body care that will insure a healthier future for the coming generations. Furthermore, pushing kids to practice different sports will optimize their mind to muscle connection making it easier for them to engage and excel in any type of physical activities in comparison with their none active peers, therefore, rising their chances of maintaining an active lifestyle.

On the other hand, doing sports and being active without a proper diet can have a reverse effect on one person’s health, making him vulnerable to injuries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and causing him sleeping disorders. In addition to that, the myth that physical exercise is the best way to lose weight has been debunked by recent studies proving that diet is the most scientifically effective way to lose extra fat by minimizing the caloric intake.

In conclusion, it is obvious that physical exercise is crucial to have and maintain a healthy body, however, when it comes to losing fat, it been proven to be less effective in contrast with a proper calories restricted diet.

According to people, Using social media as facebook causing negative impact not only on individuals but community also. I agree that it has some drawback for society but i can see some of the advantage for individuals as well. In one hand, If i talk about a person using network site,So it’s not only giving opportunity to find friends globally but also giving idea of variety of culture uses by each state or nation . People are getting each other’s rituals and languages without even meeting them in person or visiting their hometown. That’s how social networking is an advantage for everyone to know everyone and their traditions online. In other hand, Community have one disadvantage that they may miss their son’s or daughter’s presence during meal time or while walking outside alone when they are busy in facebook in knowing someone or finding something interesting. These days youth specially try to search any mate outside home mostly in social media so that they can share their feeling or experience to them instead of sharing to any family member, so may be it’s our mistake that we are not that much friendly with our children that they are making friends outside to share it. We are loosing their faith hence it’s our responsibility to gain it again then only this problem can be solved. In each society and family, there should be freedom for their children as a result they will feel comfortable in home because of friendly atmosphere and will start spending time with parents as well. They will let their parents know about the friends and culture which they have known through facebook so that community get to know plus points of using it.

Social media has tremendously impacted our daily life in several ways. Some argue that social media disadvantages outweigh its advantages and builds a lazy unproductive generation. In my opinion, social networking facilitate communication between people; however, cyber bullying is the most dangerous negative impact of social media.

Nowadays, almost everyone is on a social media platform such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter. Many use these platforms to communicate with their pairs, friends and family members on regular basis since it is cheap, convenient and has different options such as voice or video calls. Moreover, people can post and share content and news on the social media apps. Furthermore, many businesses use the platforms to reach out customers and advertise about their products and services.

On the other hand, social media can be a dangerous tool in the hands of bullies and aggressive persons. Sadly, some use social media platforms to blackmail others or bully them which has a negative impact on one’s mental health specially teenagers. Also, many models and social media influencers use beauty filters that shows a completely unrealistic skin and body image burdening young females with distorted body image and body shaming which I believe is a dangerous impact on their personality development and mental health.

In conclusion, social media can be used to bring people closer and share news and daily life events. However, it can be a dangerous environment where someone might get cyber bullied or body shammed. I believe that social media has both negative and positive impacts depending on the way we use it and the content we get exposed to.

Thank you Liz for the excellent material you have on your website. I scored an overall 8.5 (L 9, R 9, W 7 and S 8) and I would like to attribute a part my score to your helpful tips, YouTube videos and sample tests on this site which allowed me to better understand how to answer. Even though one might feel very confident being a regular English speaker, there is a proper method to cracking IELTS.

Really appreciate the stuff you have generously shared, and for free. God bless!

It’s great to see your scores – very well done you!! You clearly nailed IELTS 🙂

Majority believe that there are alarming disadvantages to the use of social networking sites. I am in complete agreeance to this statement as there have been numerous negative effects on individuals and society. The use of social media has led to the rise in depression. As people post their eventful memories in social media, a lot of people have been feeling discontentment in their own lives. Constant comparison is made and consequently, they start to question whether they’re living their best life. Another effect of using social media to individuals is the quality of face to face interactions. Most people choose to talk through social applications on their phones rather than meet with each other in person. Humans are social beings, thus the fall in the quality of personal interactions affect one’s well-being. In addition, society is also affected as many use social media to spread false news. Caution must now be practiced whenever a news article is presented as there is a probability that it is untrue. People are now wary and unbelieving. There is a growing distrust in the community due to countless attempts to fool society with lies. An example could be the false news spreading on social media during election time – this is critical as society might elect an official based on untrue words. Also, through social sites, online bullying has become more rampant. It takes little to no effort to target someone with disrespectful words and comments anonymously. This can be seen everyday as people post baseless hate comments. In conclusion, it cannot be denied that social networking sites has a lot of disadvantages in both society and individuals. People should practice using such platforms with caution and make sure that their mental health can handle it.

Nowadays, with the rise of streaming services and high prevalence of gadgets people spends significant amount of time on social media. However, this eventually possesses some negative effects on individual as well as on society. Therefore, I strongly agree with this statement that these sites have strong damaging effects. Firstly, it becomes fashion everywhere of using mobile phones and spending much time on social networking sites. People prefer to chat with other person who lives far away or to whom they do not know. These acts drain some devastating effects on their social life. For example, people prefer to talk to people who lives at distances but ignores the immediate relationships that deserves to have their time most like parents and grandparents. This acts would eventually affects the society also. Secondly, their health may also compromise as they refrain themselves from physical activities and sitting on gadgets for long hours. For instance individual may suffer from diabetes due to less physical activity and may be through heart issues. On the other hand, social networking may be useful for societies like individuals may get connected with the love ones whom they cannot meet physically and it becomes the blessings to get connected with them through these sites. Furthermore, by getting connected with different people one can increase his knowledge about different cultures and their way of living. In this advanced technological era it is important to get in touch with worldly activities to enhance the standards of living. To conclude, although there are many pros of using social networking sites but their cons outweighed it. To my point of view if someone is being neglecting by his family members in spite of living under one shelter then its benefits of social interactions does not matters.

Nowadays, technology becomes one of the most significant ways people can connect and interact with each other. However, the majority of people think that social networking, for instance, Facebook, has an enormous bad effect on both individuals and society. I strongly agree that social networking has a negative side at the same time, also it has a positive impact, whereas it influences personal and community on both sides.

First and foremost, 100,000,000 people use the internet on different sites. For example, Facebook has a huge number of followers like to utilize, and connect through it such as chatting, sending pictures, meeting new friends from different areas around the world, learning, and interacting with people who speak various languages and have different cultures. Furthermore, stealing private information via Facebook becomes nervous for a lot of people clearly, mention in BBC news that more than 500,000 people around the world had stolen their Bank account, with an intelligent method, even though Facebook is still at the top of apps that people prefer to share and connect.

On the other hand, the new generation especially spends more time on the internet and social networking. Indeed, it affects a family relationship, lack of connection and discussion between them, and no gain of information, less about knowledge, and skills and hobbies will disappear from our society. Because with this ability, and activity the community will grow and develop. Hence, the consequence will have a negative impact. Of course, Facebook has plenty of information, document, picture, and charts, that show how other countries improve. For that reason, Facebook can share information that lets people read and see images about the countries, culture, and society, so it will help to attract tourists to come, and the economy will rapidly increase.

To summarize, social networking has benefits and drawbacks on both sides, such as individual and community.

Wonderful Really, I like it

Most people feel that Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have had a very negative effect on both the people and society. I’m of the opinion this isn’t accurate, and the below essay will explain why.

Social media has rapidly become the most preferred option of communication. It has worked as an effective method to connect with people no matter how far they are from each other. Twitter has given this generation a power that was never available, the ability to spread a message to millions of people at the click of a button.

Social media has enhanced people-to-people connections between enemy nations as well. If you see the activities of someone else from a different geography, you realise that the people there are not so different. For instance, through social media, I realised that many people in Pakistan love the actor, Shah Rukh Khan as much as my family does. Furthermore, there are countless other stories of how these platforms have helped people find lost ones, get blood donors, and financial donors under challenging times.

Though admittedly, like most tools, social media can have a harmful use if in the wrong hands. Also, the echo chamber created by the algorithm of social media has led to the growth of fascist ideologies worldwide. Though I don’t believe the websites are to blame, the user is the culprit.

In conclusion, I believe social media, if regulated to an extent, is a boon to society. Its growth should not be discouraged.

Social Media has grown immensely in the last 10 years and had become an integral part of our life. Owing to its popularity, a lot of people had made their midset that Social Media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many more had a detrimental effect on individuals as well as society. I concur, that it is affecting the lives of teenagers, kids, and even older people, along with also harmed our diverse society.

Primarily, Social media is affecting Society in broader aspects, people are spending long hours just strolling on these Social Networking Sites without taking any valuable aspect to improve themself. As a consequence, people are not able to gain the essential social behavior and proving nothing among their community. Instead, they are wasting their time, on these sites, blindly following an influencer which they would rarely meet in their whole life. For instance, there are many kids which are highly influenced in gaming, following the influencer on these sites. These kids have changed their way of living by spending most of their time playing computer or mobile games rather than involving in some physical sports, which is highly affecting their education, health as well as they lack most of the social skills, which indeed affecting the society, especially the one with local communities.

Moreover, the dramatic increase in the demand for Social media had created a way for fraudsters, to spread their curated news easily on the daily basis, following certain sophisticated tactics they tend to gain people’s beliefs and make it so much appealing that they tend to believe or form opinion related to whatever they have seen on this sites. As a result, false or misleading information presented as news is spreading more and more, which may affect individuals and also society. To illustrate, there was a celebrity Ranbir Kapoor, on which the fake allegation of dealing with drugs was put on, by the trend on Twitter, people had started creating their opinion, which had a huge impact on his professional and personal life. Later on, After investigation, it was cleared that the news which was spread was entirely false. As stated, these sites had highly affected our society and our beliefs.

In conclusion, Social media is growing at a high pace, and with technological advancement, it will continue to thrive in the future as well, but had a huge deteriorating impact on our society and our own life. To mitigate such an impact, it’s highly difficult and challenging. Fraud news on these sites is spreading almost daily, people are wasting a lot of time perpetually strolling on this platform, affecting their own life, causing them not involved in social activities in their society.

Thank you Liz for your free tips

You’re welcome 🙂

Thanks for this powerful site, Liz!

I read through the whole page, and your responses are of great assistance. I feel confident to seat for the test.

Thank you so much, Liz. I wish you a speedy recovery.

Good luck with your test 🙂

Hi Liz , it’s Guri I have been following you for last 2 to 3 years,,,I always watch your videos on youtube even on your own website, ,,I want to ask why did you stop to post videos on youtube regarding IELTS,, since last 5 years ,,,, do you provide online IELTS course ,,,kindly let me know please ,, Sincerely Gurpreet Singh From India 🇮🇳

Hi Gurpreet, I stopped making videos because my health crashed in 2015 and I’ve been struggling since then. Each time I start recovering, I get sick again. It’s a long slow battle. But I hope next year will bring me better luck. This website contains all my free lessons and tips for each part of the test. But I also have some Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons and two e-books relating to Writing Task 2: an ideas for topics e-book and a grammar e-book. You can find them in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Once I’m better, I’ll start making more videos for my store and my Youtube channel 🙂

Hi Liz, I started watching your videos a month ago for IELTS, and I learnt a lot from your clear and informative presentations. Then I purchased the writing task 2 pack about 10 days ago – my best decision forever! I will have the IELTS test (academic) tomorrow which I aim at 7 in each category for accreditation as a medical professional in Australia. Whether I got the score or not, I will keep doing the practice to improve my English. Get well soon! Kind regards, Charlie

Best of luck with your test !! 🙂

I pray to god that u recover as soon as possible because every ielts beginner needs your help and assistance .

Get well soon

Kindly take care of your health.

Get well soon ! We are keen to see you again on your Youtube channel

Hello Liz, Get well soon dear…

I learnt a lot from your YouTube channel and I am confident enough to attend the exam.

Thanks 😊 Srini Reddy India

get well soon Liz . a lot of wishes and love from India.

I wish you quick recovery

oo, pls get well soonest Liz you have been an inspiration honestly, you make Ielts look so easy

Hey Liz, How are you now? Still no new videos or uploads. Are you alright?

Thanks for asking. My illness is long-term. It’ll take time before I can make videos – I’m still not well enough.

It is considered by many that social media sites have had a bad impact on individual people as well as the society and community. Though such sites provide considerable benefits, I too believe that the negative impact outweighs them in various angles.

On one hand, Social media websites like Facebook,Youtube and Instagram bring people together and help them communicate by a few clicks on a website. Before the development of such sites, people rarely meet with anyone outside of their community or country. Additionally Facebook also has social groups where users can act promptly during any emergencies such as natural disasters or social awareness campaigns and contribute to such programs in various ways.

On the other hand , It is clear that based on online activities there are many individuals easily being targeted by online scammers for serious traps such as sensitive data fraud and love scams. Additionally youngsters spend most of their time being active on Facebook and they are unlikely to spend time with their family or community cycle they live in. This leads to a broken society around the individual and soon the individual can be distanced from community and easily be fallen into depression or may feel helpless incase of being victimised by a scammer. Furthermore individuals face serious health issues such as back pain,migraine and spinal injuries due to long hours on social sites which ultimately form an unhealthy community.

Finally, in my view, Spending time on social media should be limited and undercontrolled by individuals in order to maintain a good mental as well as physical health. Over use of such sites will definitely lead to unrecoverable impact not only on individuals but also on the community cycle around them. Individuals should be extra cautious on usage of such sites to continue forming a healthy environment.

Wow fantastic writing thankyou so much for help me to write the good answer

Have you started essay marking services which was suppose to start in oct. 2020?

No. Sorry. I’m still sick. I won’t be starting a marking service until I’m better. Hopefully late next year.

Get well soon, mam.

hi Liz, Please is this a good answer to give for this advertisement question?

Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with?

Generally, people believe that publicity gives us the courage to purchase things we are not in need of, while others think that publicity gives a broader view about new products that may be of high signigicant to our lives. I strongly agree with both views as publicity gives us the courage to purchase items we dont need and also a information on items that are beneficial to us. This essay will give an in-sight to the points.

Advertisement gives us the courage to purchase things that are not essencial. For example, I saw a smart watch on aliexpress earlier this week which has almost all the features and applications an android phone has. This really got my attention and without further exitation, i purchased the smart watch online. Thinking about it few hours later, i honestly do not see the need for the smart watch. Furthermore, publicity of products are everywhere we can imagine like in the newspaper, social media, different websites, television and on the radio. A friend once said, we humans are mostly driven by what we hear which leads us to make that immediate decision occasionally. Although, some promotions of product and services totally discourages some people from purchasing it due to errors or wrong information released.

Publicity give an in-sight of new products that are beneficial to our lives. For instance, some products like the advanced portable blood pressure machine newly produced is not easily accesible in our physical stores. This is because it is still on high demand and its to be pre ordered for if needed urgently. This gives people the doubt of purchasing such product blindly as there is no complete assurance to the specifications with just words of mouth. But with the new advertisement released on the benefits of this product, there is a broader knowledge of the importance of the product.

In my opinion, i strongly agree that people are driven to purchase some irrelivant items and also an in-depth knowledge is given on the benefits of some products that are beneficial to our lives. This can mostly be achieved through publicity.

In conclusion, publicity does not only encourages us to purchase irrelevant items, it also gives a broader view of how important some products are to our lives.

Many people are fond of using the internet especially the social networking like Facebook, Twitter and etc. They have spent most of their time handling their mobiles and computer just to have connection to other people and this one made sense to them. Primarily, the negative effect of over usage of the streaming and social networking is not being productive in a usual day. Apart from that, many individual has a feeling of envious towards other people which is not good in personal development.

Another point to consider is that many false-beliefs and intrigues are affecting the individual. Nowadays, many untruthful related issues are being brought up in the internet and it does not contribute to our interpersonal skills instead, hence it gives negative values. These controversial would not help us to become a better person. In other hand, our society is also affected by these social networking by increasing the rate of people who are no longer engaged in interpersonal relationship. They prefer to use Facebook or other media to communicate thus, personal interaction is no longer observed.

On the contrary, Social networking has benefit to us as an individual. It provides us a good communication line to other people by sharing common thoughts and interests and to keep each other close immediately.

To conclude, social networking has an imperative impact in totality to individual and society but negative impact is more evident with regards to individual personality and behavior as whereas what it brings to the community.

Can you please evaluate Ms. Liz Thank you

Based on social facts, many are into social networking which has been believed by most people, has enormous significant negative effect for both personal and in the society. I completely agree that social media has a big impact to individuals and in the community. Many people are fond of using the internet especially the social networking like Facebook, Twitter and etc. They have spent most of their time handling their mobiles and computer just to have connection to other people and this one made sense to them. Primarily, the negative effect of over usage of the streaming and social networking is not being productive in a usual day. Apart from that, many individual has a feeling of envious towards other people which is not good in personal development. Another point to consider is that many false-beliefs and intrigues are affecting the individual. Nowadays, many untruthful related issues are being brought up in the internet and it does not contribute to our interpersonal skills instead, hence it gives negative values. These controversial would not help us to become a better person. In other hand, our society is also affected by these social networking by increasing the rate of people who are no longer engaged in interpersonal relationship. They prefer to use Facebook or other media to communicate thus, personal interaction is no longer observed. On the contrary, Social networking has benefit to us as an individual. It provides us a good communication line to other people by sharing common thoughts and interests and to keep each other close immediately. To conclude, social networking has an imperative impact in totality to individual and society but negative impact is more evident with regards to individual personality and behavior as whereas what it brings to the community.

Can you please evaluate my writing skills and content. Thank you Ms. Liz

Please check my introduction: Social networking websites like Facebook, Instagram, etc. are thought to have affected individuals and society and local communities alike. While I agree that social media has had some clear advantages for an individual person, there’s also a downside in that they’ve made a dent on solidarity among people of the society.

Social networks is crucial in this modern age and everyone is getting adapted to this trend irrespective of the ages. More number of people have a understanding that using social network platform will definitely lead to some disadvantages on people and environment. However, I entirely believe that they contribute aspects that are helpful to the individuals and improves the society.

Majority of people have a flawed understanding over social networking sites, for instance, instagram, whatsapp, facebook are some applications where one can communicate to another only through internet which is not safe. People believe that it might lead to addiction which later cause health issues in terms of stress. According to a research from the Harvard university, there is a increasing number of people aged between 8-25 are facing serious health problems due tot he reason of using many networking sites constantly.

Conversely, there are some beneficials in using the networking applications in order to improve education. For example, owing tot he COVID situation, most of the teaching method are changed virtually, where one can learn easily by staying at home. Society on the other hand receive benefits. Recent in Tamil Nadu a protest named “Jallikattu” gone viral and reason behind was because of Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and many such social networking applications which payed a way to throw light on the States’s culture and tradition in order to conduct the jallikattu event.

To recapituate, social networkings can have both negative and positive effect. Meanwhile, it is in the hands of the individual to make it better and useful. In my opinion, I strongly agree that these network sites enable us to explore more and bring in true colours of Nations’s development.

Hi Jeevitha. Your essay seems nice at a glance. But, beware of spelling errors. Found few. Ahead.

if somebody can evaluate my essay that would be great help A few masses of people reckon that social sites are detrimental for society and human, while other masses believes they are beneficial in their own good ways. I personally agree that these sites are leaving various negative impact on surrounding. Talking about the benefits of social networks including Facebook, Instagram, Linkdin, first and foremost benefit is ; connection to people worldwide.in earlier times, people used to use postcards, letters and telegrams to send their messages to different countries but today with the help of these sites messages can be sent worldwide with the flick of a finger. Secondly, these sites are major platform for marketing and business as well. For example, we can display our ideas and products on such sites ; which will be helpful in raising money on individual levels. Finally, it helps the students to follow different pages on social media, where a pupil can find guidance to their career and can find solution to their daily base study problems. on the other hand, the major disadvantage of these sites is the cutting off of people from the society. People, nowadays, like to spent their time more on entertainment sites; as a result , people are getting detached from their near ones. They don’t have time for their partner and parents’ feelings. Because of this, society is facing major crisis in maintaining healthy relationships. other major drawback of these sites is its worst effect on health i.e. people are becoming more prone to diseases day by day. For example, obesity, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases. Overall, it can be said that people should use sites only when needed and they should spent major time involved in physical activities . In this way their life will lead to happy and fruitful life i.e. free of diseases.

Jasdeep, please use punctuation marks cautiously. You must start every sentence with capital letter. Your points are all good, need to be arranged in a better manner though.

Many people believe that the social networking platforms has drastically affected the individuals and as well as the whole society. However, others believe that these platforms have benefited us as well in many ways. This essay will enlighten both these aspects of social network platforms and I personally favours the former view i.e. it has overall put a negative impact on our personal and social life.

There is no doubt that such platforms has completely broken the distance barriers. it gives us the leverage to connect and communicate with people globally and share the cultural and social values with each other. We are just one click away from any person across the globe and can seamlessly communicate with anyone and anywhere either using text or voice call or video call facility. Also, such platforms especially Facebook are also being used for advertisements thus people are growing their businesses. Also, these platforms keeps us in regular touch of our friends by seeing their events and posts online and appreciate them.

Now, the reason why these platforms have a negative effect is the over indulgence by people into them. People of all walks of life are using them in so excess that they have dramatically affected and changed their life style completely. Today, most people prefers communicating online rather than in person because of the ease provided by technology. It may have removed the distance barriers but created a big social gap between people. Due to this, many people and even the children are suffering from mental health problems.

In conclusion, Social networking platforms are very good and have many benefits if used wisely. However, these platforms have created a void in our social life and created a emotional and social barrier barrier between people.

This is much better than that which is mentioned above 😂

Thank you. Glad you liked it. Hope it helped. 👍

Sorry, but Liz’s essay is a Band 9 while Vineet’s essay is full of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes so he can only qualify for a band 7 as a maximum score.

More importantly, Liz’s essays are stylish, impeccable and are worth your respect.

Kind regards Wei

Well done bro👍

The world is now a global village..This has been made achievable by the introduction of social sites such as Facebook. Some people have seen this development as rather detrimental to individuals and the society as a whole. Most are of the opinion that, this is addictive and destroys community bonding. However, on the other hand, some people and me inclusive believe it has brought a lot more benefits such as bringing people from far closer and has provided opportunities for most communities.

Sites such as Facebook , when used over and over again, it builds up our cognitive function to always be logged in to it. Research has proven that individuals spend most of their day glued to their mobile phones while on these sites. With regards to this productive time is being lost which would have been used to do other meaningful activities. Furthermore, as more people indilge on online sites, interpersonal communication gradually becomes diminished.when looked upon from a community level, less and less persons get to be involved with one another further making division and weakening community bonding. Despite all these, others have embraced this positively. A strong reason for this is it has broken the distance between people living in different countries and continents.with Facebook you can place and video call and see an oversees relative or friend within seconds.This has overcome the traditional letter writing which took months to be delivered and tarried information. At a community level, projects such as clean water provision, electricity and schools have been successfully carried out by non governmental organisations when this were put up on Facebook as challenges within some communities. This has added to infrastructural development and reduction in diseases. To conclude, despite some drawbacks the Internet age has brought, I believe its advantages are enormous and surpasses it cons.

It is been believed by a large section of society that social media sites have been negatively impacting both individuals and society. In my opinion, I agree that social networking sites have negative repercussions on the people and its society as it impacts individual and hence society overall development One of the reasons to consider the opinion of many people that social networking sites have a downside impact on individuals is that with the emerge of these sites, people have disconnected themselves from the real world, while have reduced focus on physical health, social bonds and emotional quotients. Physical and mental health is very important for one’s growth. The downfall of these important parameters not only affect the self-development of individuals but also influence society’s health and unity, which in turn reshapes the individual in a vicious circle.

Another point to consider is that spending more time on sites like FB, Google, etc leads to spending less time on constructive work such as research etc, which in turn, holds the overall productivity of society. In other words, the development of a nation depends on people’s effectiveness and efficiency. Spending time on such sites reduces the possibility to utilize more time on greater innovations and discoveries, thereafter, causing the defeat of society’s future advancement and evolution.

In conclusion, people spending time on social networking sites increases the risk of depleting their actual capability, aptitude and skills, and hence rusting their progressive thinking, impacting not only their self-evolution but also impacting the nation’s social and economic progression.

To some people, social media networking sites such as Facebook are perceived to have negative impacts on both individuals and society. I agree that networking sites can be utilized for positive causes like information sharing and to reach people instantly. However, there are also some drawbacks derived from social media such as catfishing and fraud. Besides, social media addiction is becoming more prominent in recent years.

Networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were made to help society to be more connected in a short time manner. It does help us to reach our relatives who live abroad faster. It can also be the platform to share our thought and our lifestyle. With social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we can share what we are doing currently and post it on our profile. Furthermore, networking sites can be a source of Informations, from seeking a place to stay on vacation to more academic-related information like the value of Pythagoras, from the information-sharing platform given in the networking sites. For the bigger picture, we see that networking sites have eased us to sell information that benefits businesses and corporations to execute strategy effectively, which further boosts the economy. We can see from the above discussion that Networking sites have multiple benefits.

However, with the rising of networking sites as our way of life when it comes to searching for information or simply just sharing, there are some disadvantages of networking sites. With the ability to chat virtually, there are lots of people who stole others’ identities for numerous reasons. This is called catfishing. This is maybe harmless but people who are fooled by them maybe feel betrayed and hurt. Furthermore, the ability to freely access information can be a backlash, with the acts of fraud such as phishing becoming more striking recently. Social media addiction is also a notable problem nowadays. Children prefer to stay on their roof browsing the internet instead of going outside with their friends, Forming the new generation to become mature faster than previous generations. We see evidence that children in the current generation, generation Z to develop emotions such as stress and depression before they even reach puberty.

In conclusion, networking sites benefit ourselves and society for the efficiency to be connected with others and to be exposed to abundant sources of information. Nevertheless, networking sites can cause several disadvantages and therefore there should be strict regulations to regulate the networking sites.

Please reply with your suggestions. Thanks

Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are believed to have a really bad impact on individuals by some people and they also think it has a worse effect on society. In my opinion, I agree with the problems that are associated with the use of social platforms to an individual and society.

As the growth of social platforms has increased among the individuals, they started to become less responsive in terms of interacting directly with others which causes a bad impact on their overall lifestyle. With this, everyone likes to check statuses of others on social media rather having a one-on-one conversation with the other person which results in lack of social and interpersonal skills in individuals.

Individuals deeply indulged in social-media platforms while using public transport are becoming a victim in various road accidents which is not only an unpleasant situation for them but for their family too. This describes, that these networking sites have a severe effect on families who are associated with a user of social media.

On the other hand, people who opt to use social platforms for more time than intended are unaware of the societal problems that are arising in their surrounding. They undoubtedly believe in every news which they see on social media and forgets about the implications it can have on their society. With this, no one cares much about society and what message it brings to all of us.

In conclusion, networking sites had a really ill effect on individuals who interact with these sites on a regular basis and this contributes to other problems that are related to society.

Thanks for sharing, but I don’t offer feedback on writing. Hopefully someone else will drop you a review.

Social networking sites have changed the way our society communicates. While there have been many positive outcomes of it such as increased connectivity, sharing new ideas and understandings of different cultures, there have been some major drawbacks as well which have led many people to question their contribution to the society.

One of the main disadvantages of social media is that it affects the mental health of individuals. Youth in particular, are quite vulnerable to fall into the trap of believing the false reality on social media. They may also be susceptible to live their lives for the approval of others, which may result in them to have less overall life satisfaction. Many people often find themselves depressed by the constant competition on the social media and superficial connections that exist virtually, leaving them no time or energy to establish deep connections, which may prove very detrimental to their mental health.

In recent times, we have seen Social media sites having the power to change public opinion, which is very dangerous in some ways. Since the revenue model of these sites are advertisement driven, big powerful corporations can spend a lot of money on these sites to shift public opinion favourably towards them. It also limits competition in certain segments as small businesses are unable to capture user’s attention.

Like everything that exist, social media has advantages and disadvantages, In my opinion, to provide a fair balance, there needs to be education around its usage and some regulations which does not allow individual or corporations to abuse the platforms for their benefits.

In this Link – https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-agree-disagree-essay-sample-answer/ , you have mentioned that for opinion essays, we should be writing one opinion only through out the essay. But in this page , I could see that both sides of the arguments were discussed. I’m confused. Could you please clarify.

I think you are getting confused about one opinion and a one-sided opinion. These are not the same thing. When you have an Opinion Essay, you can choose your opinion. It will either be a one-sided opinion when you agree 100% with one side or it will be a specific opinion (balabced view), when you don’t agree fully with either side and you present your own specific view. Once you decide your opinion, you present it in the introduction. From that point on, you can’t change your opinion. Your essay must follow the opinion you have given in the introduction. So, you choose your opinion and stick to it. Please get my Advanced Lessons to get proper training: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

May God bless you to get well soon Liz.

Get well soon Liz…..

Thanks. I appreciate that.

Get well soon Liz.

a good many people believing that social media is affecting adversely on males and females in many communities. However, In my opinion, it also causes some serious health problems if we use it too much per day. Nowadays, social media took an essential role in our life and I admit that it takes most of the time for a good majority of people, despite that it can help u communicate with others worldwide it also made a huge gap between society relations, for example, if you are missing someone and want to see him, probably you would call him via video instead of seeing him in some place or in his or her house because we used to visit each other in the past, check if we need anything, he may be in the hospital and need someone to cheer him, support him to recover and tell him that we are here for them.

In addition, even family nights have now vanished, we just sit with each other without talking, just surfing the internet instead of playing some game or share any problem that we are struggling with, even the emotions now are electronics not honest one from deep of our hearts, so this would adversely affect our life and make it meaningless.

to sum up, social media is a need to handle our life, but too much of using it will back in a negative way that affect our health and habits.

I just read the comments section and found out that you have been suffering from some disease for a long time. It is a shocking news for me. I have learnt a lot from you and consider you one of the most respected teachers of mine. What happened Liz??? How are you now?? I hope that you are getting better day by day and get fully recovered very soon 🙁

Thanks for your concern. I’m still sick and there are times when I struggle a lot. But I do have hope that I will get better. Hopefully next year will see some improvement. Meanwhile, I try to keep this website going and keep posting lessons and tips. Hope you are staying safe at this time.

BEST Wishes!! Get well Soon!!

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Hi, I am waiting to write my IELTS in two hours. While revising concepts from your website, I just realised about your health. I pray to almighty for your speedy recovery. 🙂 Please take care. You are the best!!!

Thanks. I’m so sorry I didn’t see this message before so I could have wished you luck. However, I do hope your test went well !!

Thank you so much Liz for all your sessions and inputs. I scored 8887 LRSW in General test, had my speaking today and will be appearing tomorrow for the rest, this time academic. Take care get well soon. You have been a great support to me.

Hey Liz, I have not known you personally but you are one of the teachers I have the highest regard for. I am appearing for my IELTS soon and I have checked out many IELTS videos on youtube but by far your 4-5 years old youtube videos are still the best. Everything is explained so well that I can’t thank you enough. I saw that your youtube channel videos were posted in 2014 and was confused why being such a nice teacher, you haven’t uploaded any video recently. So to see that and to learn more I landed up to your website and then on the comments. I am really sorry to hear that you are suffering from a health issue for a long time. I am sure you will get well pretty soon considering the 1.4 million + student community which you have built must be wishing you well.

Thanks for your message. Yes, I’m still sick. My recovery has been hit many times by bad luck. But I am still hopeful. Your positive message is encouraging 🙂

get well soon..lots of blessings and best wishes from me ..

Take Care Liz!

I hope to get well soon.

I’m sorry to know that, I hope you recover soon and get back to normal.

your blog contains better content ,wish to see you active again.GET WELL SOON LIZ.

I am from India, and I have received so much help from your free videos and lessons.

Praying for your speedy recovery. I am sure you will be fit and fine soon.

If prayers do miracle, then Ms.Liz, you got many around the world, yours students, we are earnestly appealing to God, a speedy recovery for you.We can’t lose our dear teacher.

Common Liz.. Me and my wife not yet done our Ielts yet.

Thank you for your best wishes. My health is improving slowly but I still need to rest a lot. Hopefully I will have better news at the end of the year. Meanwhile, I work part time on this website and will keep it open and post free lessons regularly.

I don’t know what is your exact illness. Any way I pray to Almighty God for early recovery from your illness.

Wish you a quick recovery and may you be fit than ever. Please stay safe our dear Liz.

May you recover soon Liz. You will be as just you are before sick. Keep strong, everything will be okay 🙂

In Bangladesh, its spread that you has been suffering dangerous illness. Is it true or Fals?

I have been very sick for a long time and I am still not well. But I am able to run this website. Hopefully next year I’ll be able to make videos again.

Liz, please get well soon. You’re important to us here more than you’ll ever know. From Nigeria.

Get well soon, praying for you Liz!

get well soon liz 🙂

Oh no, sorry to hear about that Liz. Hopefully is not something very serious. Get well soon, hugs!

Your are precious to many of us. Please get well soon and contribute more of your excellent english knowledge to the world. May god bless you. Take care of yourself dear..

It’s so sad to hear that u r not well. Get better soon Liz.

get well soon dear Liz

I’ll pray for your speedy recovery. You are truly a gem 🙂

OH DEAR, GET WELL SOON DEAR. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU BACK IN FULL ENERGY SOONEST.

Hi Liz, I am confused, question asked, to what extent do you agree but you mentioned both positive and negative sides. Are we supposed to take only one side in such essays or both?

You can take a one sided approach or a balanced approach (partial agreement).

Hi Liz, I do like your web: It s organized, concise, and helpful. Keep on producing valuable posts as you have done. Appreciate you from Indonesia

Social networking sites such as Facebook considered having had a detrimental effect on both individuals as well as society. In my opinion, I disagree with the above-mentioned statement because the pros outweigh the cons by far. Social networking sites are not only used to communicate but also used as an effective mode of establishing or run businesses. Researchers said that the social networking sites in the 21st century are considered as “MONEY MAKING MACHINE”. Social networking sites are used as a tool for sole traders, entrepreneurs, businesses to sell and advertise their products and to target the specific segment of the society. They have had used these sites as a platform to launch their products and get instant feedback from end-users. For example facebook banner ad. Social networking sites connected people and friends despite the fact where they lived. In my opinion, it has had a positively impact on people’s lives because they are linked and known every activity for their beloved ones. Social networking makes the world a global village; you just click on one button and share your thoughts, emotions, and pictures with your friends and family. In the past, people had no connection except writing letters and waited almost 2 to 3 weeks for a response but now you just instantly made a video and audio call for free is it not amazing? To conclude, social networking sites have had a positive impact on individuals because they are connected and share their experience which is helpful for the young lads. Furthermore, it has had also used for creating job opportunities, advertise products, and know what are the needs of consumers.

Hi Liz, Can we give our opinion in the introduction and then in the conclusion too?

You introduce your opinion in the introduction and then conclude it in the conclusion.

Hi Liz, What do you think about this?

Social media sites have become extensively popular around the world and majority of the population argue that such kind of sites to have ill effect on everyone. In my opinion, I disagree with this statement because I believe the pros outweigh the cons by far. It has had enormous amount of benefits such as creating job and wealth opportunity as well as has allowed many to connect with friends across the globe.

Research shows that social media is seen as the 21st century ‘money making machine’ whereby many sole traders, entrepreneurs and big business can use this kind of platforms to advertise and promote their products or services. Business are able to use it as a trading platform to sell. Because many people use such sites, it’s easier to reach target consumers for example through Facebook banner ad. In addition, it has also enabled startups to get instant feedback on their products.

On the other hand, it is used as a main platform for communication among many. Not only do social sites allow you to share pictures and videos but also enable you to make ordinary and video calls. Furthermore, you can share you day to day experience with friends and family in a form of short clips. For example, if there was no Snapchat, how would I have been able to share videos instantaneously?

To conclude, social sites have plenty of benefits and has positively contributed to the society and businesses over the years. I believe that it has empowered us to use it for a range of purposes and also has allowed businesses to trade.

Thanks Liz for always helping. Kindly help with corrections.

It is argued that social networking sites like Facebook have had a harmful effect on individuals and local communities. This essay agrees that Facebook has advantages while it also has a dangerous impact on the public.

Thanks in advance

The instructions ask for your own opinion. I need to use “I” or “my” to express a personal opinion.

Liz, it is not wrong if I use I MUST SAY and IN MY OPINION in body paragraphs. Iam really confused what to do, while in opinion essay such as dou you agree or disagree case

It is actually vital to use those words if you are asked for your own opinion. I don’t put up model essays onto my site that are not safe to learn from.

Hi Liz , could you please help me with the. structure of agree and disagree statement as well as opinion essay .I’m confused about it .as my tutor told that I have make 3 body paragraph 2 with whom I agree and one for another side ?

An “agree disagree essay” and an “opinion essay” are 100% the same thing. The instructions are a paraphrase and the essay type the same.

Hi Liz, I have come across below discussion essay question; “Today’s teenagers have more stressful life than previous generations”. Discuss this view and give your opinion

Can I have an opinion such as ” Even though current generation is facing stressful life, it is lesser than the struggles faced by earlier generation”?

If I can have such an opinion, my essay body should explain about the stress life of current generation or earlier generation? Kindly advice. Thanks in advance.

Your thesis statement is fine, but make sure you use “I believe” or “in my opinion” to make your own personal view clear. Your essay would then explain your view: a) why you think the current generation is facing a stressful life b) why you think it is less than the struggles faced by earlier generations.

Thanks to you Liz. Please hear me out.

Please with opinion essays, can you write a point from outside the given QUESTION?

For example; the question asks ” To what extent do you think laws will ensure people recycle more at their homes”

My opinion – (After paraphrasing my introduction)” Although education plays a key role in increasing recycling, I agree laws will enforce the need for recycling more in our homes”

the point i introduced here is EDUCATION. Is it okay to write that?

This is an opinion essay about solutions. This means you give your opinion about the solution offered and whether it will actually solve the problem. Your answer would be that you agree it is a useful solution, but there is a better solution for this problem. That is fine. However, your thesis statement is written incorrectly. The clauses are the wrong way around and therefore don’t match the question. You should have written: Although laws to enforce recycling would have an impact, a better measure would be to raise more awareness of the benefits of recycling through education”. It is essential that you grasp the order of the clauses.

Thanks again Liz, this means so much.

Hi Liz, i have prepared writing task 2. Can you please evaluate my essay. Thank you in advance Many people think that every individual is responsible for their happiness, but some people believe there are other external factors that influence us. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Undoubtedly, pleasure is a state of mind for which every person itself is accountable whereas, some schools of thought hold the notion that other materialistic things are responsible to give happiness to the individual. My crumb of writing will shed the light on both views in the subsequent paragraphs. To commence with, firstly the individual itself is responsible to make himself satisfied in his day to day life in various ways. To substantiate, every person has control on his postive and negative emotions. Thus, to being postive bring a feeling of joy. However the way of getting satisfaction is vary from person to person . For instance some folks feel happy by spending some quality of time with their kiths and kins while other feel better by giving time to themselves as by doing yoga, meditation gives inner peace to them. On the flip side, others believe that the feeling of happiness comes due to the presence of external factors. Owing to this, having luxurious house, car and highly paid job give them good feeling. To elaborate, this is true that the materialistic things make life far more comfortable and easy. For illustration, the people who have good job earned more so they can afford better living facilities which leads happiness in them. Due to the wealth and other factors they are like pleased as punch.

To encapsulate, it can be concluded that both elements play an indispensable role to give pleasure in life. But I think inner peace is essential to keep our mind healthy and happy rather than focusing on external factors.

Wow, this is a very good academic essay, though there are few grammatical errors.

According to some people, social networking sites have had a detrimental impact on individuals and society as a role. I agree with this to a greater extent.

The first negative effect that overrides the rest is its addictiveness. This is very destructive both academically and mentally. A vast number of millennials cannot go on for long periods of time without checking their social media. This results in poor grades and when grades are poor, little to none can be done to achieve academic success. The other frustrating this about social media is how people zone out in the middle of conversations at functions because a notification just popped up on their smartphone. They have become so addicted that they cannot put away their phones for a few hours just so they can connect with others.

Another undesirable effect is how it puts pressure on individuals and society to live up to certain standards. Social media accommodates both genuine and fake people. The latter tends to post content of their supposed achievements. This can result in a follower feeling like they have failed at life. The result spans from mild to severe depression which can ultimately lead to suicide. Misdemeanours and hard core crime can also result as members of society try to gain possessions in order to live up to high standards.

In conclusion, social media really poses a great harm to people and the society as it is a causative agent of academic stagnation, various forms of crime and an early demise.

Thank you for this essay. I’m a little bit confused!!! In this essay you agree that social networking sites have had a damaging effect on local community. In the first paragraph you talked about the benefit and in the second paragraph you talked about negative effect. My question is, why didn’t you write 2 supportative ideas instead of writing in the first paragraph about benefit and in the second paragraph about negative effect like you did in the essay of “the growing number of overweight people”. THANK YOU

Look more carefully at the thesis statement which explains the position taken in this essay: However, while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.

Which one you agreed isn’t clearly understood

I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities In the question, there are two issues – one is individual and one is society. I have given my opinion of each.

Dear Liz, I have prepared Writing Task-2 answer. Please go through given below details give feedback. Thanks in advance.

Writing Task-2 Topic: In some countries a few people earn extremely high salaries. Some people think that is good for a country, while others believe that the government should control salaries and limit the amount people can earn. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Few countries , one sector of people are earning huge wages. These type of scale of earnings is better for specific country development. On the other side argument government should reconsider to reduce wages and optimize earning in the form of money and income. As per my opinion, government should redefine policy about higher wages and develop who are earning low earning wages.

Firstly, While getting higher income people are adopt to luxury life, unnecessary expenses such as cars, building excessively. For those type of comfortable life , will some pros and cons for their health and lifestyle. If you forgot about diet and physical fitness automatically health problems will raise. Sometime those utilities will save time, speed, accuracy and security for their works. Modern life style competition, comparison, comfort factors are much influence to earning huge income.

On the other side of the people are completely deny and compliance about higher wages which are most practical issues rich going to be rich again, neglecting economical poor and below poverty line peoples, low earning money wagers, mostly staying in downtowns. As many Economist and financial analysts also suggesting government rethink about all sector people and redefine policy and adjust according to manage all sectors of the people.

Many countries are economically depends on agricultural, food and beverage sectors and daily wage people are best examples of low income getting sector. Need to provide low interest bank loans and subsidies for them will help to their respective field development. Very few sectors will get huge income such as Information Technology, Service sectors, Business, Tourism sectors are getting higher revenues.

To summarize, government provide some benefits and redefine policies who are getting low income sectors also focus on development and lowering taxes and develop agricultural , food production, consumer goods and equally mange higher revenue sectors focus on country economy should maintain sustainable.

Hi Liz, I have prepared Writing Task-2 answer. Please go through given below and give feedback. Thanks in advance.

Writing Task- 2 Task : Art is considered an essential part of all cultures throughout the world. However, these days fewer and fewer people appreciate art and turn their focus to science, technology and business. Why do you think that is? What could be done to encourage more people to take interest in the arts?

Art is an important factor which is more impact on specific traditionally and culturally connected any part of the world. On the other hand some people argues technology and scientific innovations , new businesses mostly prefer choosing as profession for their future. According to ancestors art is legacy and enormous relationship has been developing between countries and all over the world. In every tradition and communities expression about their cultural and life style express in the form of pictorial representation using different colours. Those are easy to understand anyone rather than any language. Everybody thinking one picture will explain thousand words. According to historical cultural and start their house constructions and their life style which can be represents and express their views in the form of arts and paintings. Each country need to maintain and protected their historical ways of lives, foods, jewellery and usage of things stored, which archaeology department found and stored in the form of arts and galleries along with in museums. Many people perception choose profession of artist is less scope of earning money, delay, less interest about arts. However, if seriously focus on best ways choose arts will give better opportunities not only in domestic possible in internationally. On the other side, human tendency need to growth faster along with technology evaluations, new innovative scientific research effectively utilize technology. Similarly , searching more opportunities finding in the business sectors to develop start-up economical growth and development their career prospective. If seriously thinking that all science and technology developed from legacy from ancestors. For example, many discoveries such as telephone, Telegram, and based on bird flying aeroplane , various new advanced scientific evidences discovered earlier. To summarize, government and electronic media should encourage arts as mandatory subject in academics encourage artists, provide awareness programs such as exhibitions and develop museums , historical events, handicrafts , communicate to the people.

Liz don’t do proofreading for free.

I don’t offer any proof reading service – not even for money. My health prevents me offering more services.

Hi This is my first time am practicing IELTS writing task 2. Please evaluate my essay. Some people prefer to raise children in the cities while others believe that children should be raised in the countryside. Ans: Children’s upbringing is an important issue for every parent as lifestyle changing this becomes a debatable issue in society. Some would like to take care of their children in a pollution-free and healthy environment in the village far from cities. While others are in favor of raising them in an environment with modern amenities and infrastructure. In this essay, both views will be discussed, although in my view it is optimal to raise a kid in the city. As a matter of fact, the city environment has plenty of advantages and opportunities for future generations. They have easy access to all the technology for their study with extra co-curricular activities. In other words, children can do much apart from their studies, they can participate in cultural events organized in various parts of cities to get in touch with their tradition. They can go to museums, libraries that are highly technology-driven which can help children in their studies. In addition, there is more choice for parents to find the best-suited institution for their children according to children’s passion and interests. Another key point, cities have numerous job opportunities for children once they complete their higher studies. They do not have to move further for job searches. In the same fashion, the village lifestyle for raising children has its own supremacy. In this case, it provides children a clearer and pollution-free environment in comparison to cities. By the same token, a clean environment is best for children’s health and keeps a better immunity system prone to other health issues associated with aging. The most compelling evidence for the village life is less traffic that leads parents to worry less for their children about being hit by vehicles. Apart from these advantages, village life has its own limitations such as the education system. In the village, there are a limited number of schools and higher studies opportunities for children. Ultimately, once they have completed their secondary education, the only option left to move to cities for better institutions. Their access to modern technology like the internet is limited. They have hardly any exposure to the outside world. In the end, certainly, the countryside lifestyle has benefits related to health for bringing children, but we are living in the 21st century for that we have to live accordingly and need to adapt to the city’s lifestyles.

Hi, Liz I did a practice on writing part 2 and I want to know your thought about it.

Question: 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?

In the modern world, success is determined through wealth and social status of an individual. However, the qualities and skills can be achieved in various aspects of life, not just in university or other academic institutions. Although schools may provide the fundamental academic teachings, the best avenues for learning the most important qualities and skills in life to be successful are not limited to them.

Primarily, success is defined as attaining prosperity and fame in today’s world. In order to succeed, one must have certain abilities such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, leadership, and problem solving. In the schools today, they mainly focus on the systems that can enhance the capabilities of a student through various teaching materials according to their strength under those abilities. However, the presented idea is only limited to a portion that a person must possess so as to reach a successful life. In this regard, the knowledge that we acquire in an educational establishment does benefit an individual, though the setting must not be restricted to schools alone.

On the other hand, there are certain traits that we must own, apart from the academics. Towards the victory of success, knowing how to build up socialization, to negotiate, to manage money, and to have the proper behavioral skills which are trained outside the schools, occupy an essential part. This is well-demonstrated in South Korea where an actress named Mi-hee Oh, made one’s mark as a successful celebrity, even if she was not able to graduate a university. Therefore, certain qualities in achieving success come from different facets which are not found in a university and academic institutions.

In conclusion, the abilities that an individual requires to become successful in the present world cannot be completely accomplished at a university or other academic institutions. As a matter of fact, there are significant qualities reached from without the schools that we must possess, with the aim of gaining success. Hence, balancing of both the qualities may lead to the successful life in the world today.

Waste management is a big concern today, especially when more than 7.5 billion people produce a massive amount of garbage each day. The cause behind rising pollution is lack of recycling efforts and our throwaway habits are responsible for an unmanageable amount of rubbish production. Government need to take strict actions to control this issue.

To begin with, the world population has crossed 7.5 billion and it’s only natural that an increasing population produces more rubbish than ever before. Moreover, these days every product is packaged before it is sold. It is so widespread a trend that common products like bananas and apples are packed individually just to make them look attractive to the consumers. Use of plastic, polythene and many other nondisposable materials make the situation worse as they are not biodegradable. Increasing use of plastic and polythene and its adverse effects on the environment is a global concern. As a consequence, we are producing more waste and threatening our environment. Sadly, our consumerism and throwaway habits are making the situation graver as we like to have all the latest products and discard old ones easily.

Government can reduce the growing amount of waste in several ways. First of all, government needs to introduce strict laws regarding the use of plastic and polythene. Large companies like coca cola and Pepsi needs to find alternative ways to sell their products. This single measure can reduce waste production to a certain extend. Moreover, government should run awareness campaigns to educate people about the negative consequences of plastic and its usages

To conclude, an ever increasing population and their consumerism habit primarily produce a huge amount of debris every day and it has already become a global concern. It is hope that government would take effective measures to control it to reduce environmental damage.

Hi Liz, Greetings and I have watched all your videos and those are really helpful. Please I need your feedback on this. I have IELTS after 3 weeks and want to be sure whether I am not making same mistakes.

Social networking sites such as Facebook are said to have detrimental effect at the individual level as well as to our society. However, I believe that these social networking platforms have positive effect on the individuals but negative effect on the society. This essay will discuss both the opinions below.

To begin with, I believe that the social networking websites imparts good and positive impact on the individuals. Firstly, these websites can help to communicate easily through chat or direct messages with other people in any part of the world. Whereas, in earlier days it used to take days and weeks to send letters to other and hence, it was difficult to communicate. Secondly, these websites offer educational stuff like videos which students can benefit from. Moreover, housewives can also benefit by following their favorite chefs and can see and learn various recipes.

Nevertheless, these social networking sites have much long term and negative impact on the society. As people spend more and more time on these sites, they do less social interaction with other people like their families and friends. Consequently, if they spent less time with other people, then they feel isolated from the society and get mental stress. In addition to that, sometimes inappropriate contents are posted on these sites. Young people especially children get easily encouraged and indulged in doing crimes.

In conclusion, I agree that the social networking sites have good and positive impact on the individuals but negative impact on our society. Regulations should be put in place so that these websites are appropriately utilized for the benefit of both individuals and society as whole.

Hello dear Liz Your wonderful smile on your beautiful face is the first attractive point in this blog! Anyway, thank you for your thorough explanations and tuturials, they are so useful for me so far. Now, is this combination is correct: ” rarely do the people have chance to…”

The use of “the” with the word “people” depends on various factors. Otherwise, the phrase is correct. However, try to avoid learning phrases for use in your IELTS essay. When you do that, they are often used unnaturally and do not impress the examiner.

Hi Liz, I have watched your advanced tutorial for the opinion essay. And I am just kind of unsure about the disagree introduction. Should I mention all the reasons in my thesis statement why I disagree with this statement? Below is my introduction, could you please have a look and give me some advice? I would appreciate it.

Fees for analyzing and treating diseases are considered very expensive, so it is argued by some that prevention should be implemented rather than cure. From my perspective, not all diseases can be prevented, and therefore, I completely disagree with this statement, treatment is necessary in order to cure patients.

Is this the essay question: “Prevention is better than cure.” Out of a country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventative measures. To what extent do you agree?

Hi Liz, Please evaluate my essay and suggest where need improvement so that accordingly i can subscribe to your course.

Some people believe that that the government is wasting money on arts and that this money could be better spent somewhere else. To what extent do you agree? The notion of spending government’s budget on arts is not much appreciated because some people opine that this money can be well utilized on other public services. However, this essay disagrees with this statement because arts promotes cultural heritage and produce creative thinkers. To begin with, India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions. India is well known recognized for its varied forms of arts and as a result of which, it has been attracting many visitors since prehistoric times and thus, helps in introducing Indian culture all across the globe. For example, a famous dance in Punjab called bhangra, festival of vibrant colors called holi, ancient sculptures and paintings in caves and temples all across the nation and many more are a spot of attraction for many tourists. Thus, funding in arts is quite important to maintain the existence of cultural heritage. Moving further, arts is considered as an incredible thing in developing creativity power of an individual. Imaginative qualities are being inculcated in human beings at a primary and secondary level of school and as a result of which, students becomes more creative in their teenage times and produce excellent ideas later in their professional life. For instance, now a days, fortune five hundred companies look for leaders who have extra ordinary creative and innovative skills along with main required skills, who can think out of the box and produce creative ideas to boost financial status of a company and these qualities are being developed at school level only via arts as subject in school’s curriculum. So, funding in arts is indispensable. To conclude, investing money on arts is equally important as investing money on other services because arts plays significant role in identifying nation’s ancient times and also helps produce creative minds.

Hi Liz, I have been following your website, book and advanced lessons which are really useful for IELTS taker. The advanced writing lessons are stated clearly and explained in details, but I got little bit confusion in opinion essay. I feel one-sided opinion essay is easier than balance approach, but I found using balance approach and two main body paragraphs rather than applying one-side opinion and two body paragraphs in many essays of your website. Can you please tell me about the situations using both approaches and paragraphs ?

I explained in the video that the number of paragraphs is based on the number of ideas you have. Two ideas = two body paragraphs. Three ideas = three body paragraphs. No more than three and no less than two. The approach you choose is up to you. They are all worth the same. But some essay questions are easier with a one sided approach and some with a balanced view. It depends on the question and it depends on your opinion.

In many places, new homes are needed,but only space available for them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not to build new homes there. What is your opinion about this. I found this question in one of the Cambridge test. My doubt is in deciding ideas. For example can I disagree in my opinion with two reasons constructing new houses will affect the environment( para 1) and distrubs their people life ( para 2) Or should say why people do not want new building at countryside ( para 1) Para 2 – why I feel it should be allowed or not allowed. Am confused now. Could you please clear my doubt. Thanks you so much

You can’t ignore one issue. A one sided approach is you believe A and you do not believe B. Your whole essay would explain why A and not B. A partial agreement is written when it depends on specific factors: ie in developing countries or developed countries.

Hey liz, I winder how I can get access to your grammar e-book, since I live in Iran, and according to the sanctions I cannot do online shopping from overseas sites. May you guide me in that. Thanks in advance 🙏🏻

The e-book will be ready in early May. Either May 5th or just after. My online store allows major cards from most countries. Check it out: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hii mam, i have one doubt that is ,does using personal pronouns affect writing band score?

This is an aspect of grammar that I cover in my new Grammar E-book which is coming out on May 5th. Get that when it’s ready.

Hi Liz, i am maya, i really have a hard time every time i am doing the opinion essay. I learnt form my tutor that we have to answer the question in the introduction. I think it will be easy to answer agree or disagree, disadvantage or advantage, in the introduction. However, i am so confused to put the answer of the opinion essay in the introduction paragraph. Do i really need to put the answer in the paragraph or i can answer it later in the next paragraphs? Thank you.

You would have to write an example essay question with an example introduction for me to understand more fully what you mean.

Hiii Liz…..

I have one doubt as my trainer has advised me not to use ‘WH’ family like what, why, when etcetera in IELTS writing and according to her these words are not allowed to write in formal IELTS writing but still I am not convinced, so i need an expert feedback over this if you could help me.

This is 100% not true. It is completely fine to use “what / when / why / where” etc in an IELTS essay. It is generally recommended not to write questions in your essay because your aim is to present statements which answer questions, not raise questions. So, we wouldn’t use those words to write questions. However, we would use the “WH” words to write noun clauses or any other type of clauses: The reason why people should recycle is because … People should go on holiday when it is ….. These sentences are 100% acceptable for IELTS and in fact are considered complex grammar features because they are clauses or noun clauses. This means they would actually boost your score. My new Grammar E-book which will be released in early May will not only explain this, but also help you create noun clauses and other types of clauses. It’s a great e-book which will really help you develop your English level and IELTS score 🙂

Thank you Liz..eagerly waiting for your E-book…

Dear Liz, My name is Elisa and I have been following and reading all your IELTS tips. Thanks so much, it is extremely useful! However, studying and writing a bit more, I have found myself a bit in doubt about an opinion verb essay question. “Nowadays some buildings such as offices and schools are open-space design instead of separate rooms. Why is it so? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?. Looking at all the opinion essay Online, I cannot find a similar one; this requires you not only to give your opinion (positive or negative), but also to state the reasons behind this new approach. Therefore, I don’t know how to write the intro. Is it better to start with “In my opinion, despite this/it might be seen as a smart way to reduce costs within a company or a school, an open-space environment represents a detrimental and under-productive solution”. OR “This essay will outline some possible reasons why open-plan offices are getting more and more popular in today’s world and it will explain why this approach has a detrimental and counter-productive effect on both workers and students”.

I hope it was clear enough. Thanks so much for your help, Elisa

This is usually called a “Direct Questions Essay”. Each teacher gives essays slightly different names and categorises essay differently. This requires you to give the causes and also say if it is positive or negative. As with all essays in IELTS, you start with a background statement. The thesis statement, which follows, will provide the direct answers to the questions without details. Details go in the body paragraphs.

Hi Liz, I noticed that “I believe that/I agree that” is written only in the introduction, is it okay? I thought it wasn’t enough for an opinion essay in which I am explicitly asked to give my personal opinion. Thank you in advance!

“I believe” makes it very clear it is your belief. In my opinion / I think / it is my opinion that = all fine.

Hi liz, My tutor taught you should not write “have had” . it might be caught by the examiner …. what is ur opinion?

Unfortunately, I don’t really understand your comment. Are you saying that your tutor told you there is a rule in IELTS that says you can’t use the “present perfect” tense = “have had”?? This is 100% not true at all.

If the question asks – “To what extent do you agree”, Can i Completely disagree with the statement?

You can take any stand you want as long as the position is clear.

Hey Liz; I wrote a test yesterday where I had to state the entent to which I agreed that the positives of an opinion is more than its negatives. I remember using words like “overshadow” and “override”to show my support for the positive opinion. Should I be worried I didn’t state if I completely or strongly believe?

Not at all. You do not need to state if it is a strong opinion or not. All you need to do is present an opinion (a position) and explain it.

I have a doubt about the length of writing Task 2. Can anyone write 350 or more words? Minimum should be 250 but for maximum what ould be the word limit?

See this page for tips about the length of an essay: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi Liz! thanks for the helpful page! here is my question.

one of my students concluded each of the body paragraphs by restating his topic sentence. although this seemed to have wrapped up each paragraph, i thought that the repetition of the idea is not good for the essay.

what is your opinion on this?

This is very common. Some teachers train students to do this. It isn’t necessary at all and too much repetition is not a good thing. IELTS essays are not long and it is a waste of a sentence to repeat the main point in that way when the student could instead use that sentence to strength their point and develop the idea further which is what the examiner is actually looking for.

many thanks for your time, Liz!

Hi Liz mam, To what extent you agree?like this type of essays, is it mandatory to always write agreee side of the statement

The instructions are just asking for your opinion. This means the whole essay presents and explains your opinion on the issue or issues given. If you don’t agree with the statement, then you don’t agree and you explain why.

My task 2 today Disussing both view that Should young ones listen to advice from older ones or to criticize when they do wrong (Paraphrased)

is it okay to start with “children of today are the heritage of tomorrow’? thanks

You want to ask me if you should learn a phrase / memorise a phrase in order to impress the examiner? My answer – never do that. It doesn’t impress the examiner and doesn’t help your score.

Hi Liz! Thanks a lot for the work you are doing for all IELTS takers! I’ve taken your advanced lesson and am grateful for such incredible content!!! There’s one question I’d like to ask, do we need an outline sentence after our thesis statement? Because in your tutorials you never mention about an outline statement. Also, concerning examples, do ew have to put an example in every body paragraph? Looking forward to hearing from you!!! Thanks in advance!!!

No. This isn’t an academic essay for university. It is a simple straight forward essay for IELTS. You do not need to paraphrase instructions – the examiner knows what the task is. I’m glad my Advanced Lessons were useful 🙂

Dear Liz, You particularly mentioned “facebook” as an example as said in the question. Can we mention other sites such as YouTube & Instagram as an example and explain them as well or just stick to the example stated in the question??

I definitely would not ignore the example given in the question. However, it is fine to add more examples such as those you have stated.

I always assumed IELTS as a test that evaluates ability and expertise of any individual to communicate in english effectively rather than fancy vocabulary. However, after going through lots of videos and free advices online I ended up believing that I will need to upgrade my vocab if I want to score decent. All the tips and advices shared by you are very helpful, it presents the real picture of what is expected from any IELTS taker if they want a good score. I am more confident than earlier i was, thanks to you.

My IELTS test is scheduled for 17th August. Will definitely share my test taking experience and results over here as well.

Good luck 🙂

Same here for the 17th.Presently not doing so well with the essays.

Is it ok if I underline some words in my essay to highlight them to examiner?

You should not do that. The examiner does not need you to highlight words. IELTS examiners are trained professionals and are trained to assess language.

Undoubtedly,the vogue of studying abroad has reached on the top slot thesedays owing to acquire new knowledge and experiences.while the are some drawbacks of this trend,i personally reckon that its benefits are far higher.

Hello mam, could u check this introduction of task 2 (nowadays,mostly students like to study abroad. discuss advantages and disadvantages of this.)

The word “vogue” is not suitable for the topic of education. “Reach the top slot” is informal and not suitable for formal IELTS essays. Your aim should NEVER be to impress. Your aim is to be accurate and appropriate at all times to avoid errors. More errors = lower band score.

And I think that the word “reckon” is informal. Just use THINK

Can we use ‘the author of this essay’ instead of I?

No, you can’t. You need to use “I” or “my” for a personal opinion. When you are asked “Do you think men and women should be in the armed forces” in a formal interview, would you say “the speaker of these words believes…” = no, you wouldn’t. There are many false rules and ridiculous things being said about IELTS online. There are no tricks in IELTS. If you need to give your opinion, be clear and direct: I believe or In my opinion. It is not only fine to do that it is vital to do that.

Hi Liz, please I need a little clarification on d difference between these two types of essay questions ‘do you agree or disagree’ and ‘to what extent do you agree or disagree’. I’d really appreciate your response.

There is no difference. No difference at all. They are 100% the same.

Oh thank you very much

Hi Liz, could you tell me the difference between “to what extend you agree” and “to what extend you agree or disagree”

There’s no difference. They are the same.

Will we get more score if using advanced vocab while writing instead of simple words like ranacid instead of rotten .

It is not about using “advanced vocabulary”, it is about using appropriate vocabulary. If you use “advanced vocabulary” when it is unnecessary, the only thing you are showing the examiner is that you cannot choose words appropriately and that will lower your score. Aim for accuracy in English, do not aim to impress.

You are writing to much elaborate. Come straight to the point.

Hi Liz, In a question asking: buying household appliances ( TV , Cooker) have increased in many countries. Is this a positive or negative development? Does this outline sound good? Intr.: state general idea, rephrase the question, and say although it has negatives but I believe it is positive Body 1: talk about negatives: pollution of environment by manufacturing these appliances + decrease in cultural values (ie: not cooking big meals + not playing together) Body 2: talk about positives: cost effective entertainment + time saving (ie: personally prefer this so I get have more time with my family) Conclusion: summarize above and emphasize on the phenomenon being positive

What do you think? Thanks

If you believe it has positives, it also means you do not think there are negative points. This isn’t a discussion essay. If you want to mention both sides, put that as your opinion: “In my opinion, while these appliances may cause environmental problems, they are extremely beneficial for time saving or as entertainment.” – now you have quantified your view. Also don’t give examples about you or your family. Keep it all formal. Your experience is about your experience of the world – People like to spend time with their families. Hope those points help.

hi liz, I referred to ur advanced lessons they r very useful Please guide me for a silly thing repetively asked , but i em still unclear.

Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can develop better skills and more creativity than reading.To what extend do u agree or disagree.

My query is if i write i agree with the view should by paragraphs be like this: 1)BP1: Y i agree child learns better through enjoyable activity 2)BP2: Y reading is not good way of teaching

Em much confused in this X rather than Y type question approach regards, Bhavya

Exactly right 🙂 When you have two issues in the question, you must address both. If you agree with X, it also means you don’t agree with Y. Then your body paragraphs explains those two aspects of your opinion. A balanced opinion would be X is good for younger children who need to learn motor skills, social skills and develop creativity, whereas Y is essential for older children.

Liz, Love u a lot U made the day Thanks liz God bless u, get well soon

Thanks so much for helping us with the precise structure of the essay. However,I am little bit confused about the score band of this example as it doesn’t provide examples to your pints in paragraphs.Could you please elaborate on this?I have seen few videos on you tube and general structure of single opinion paragraph contains: point,explanation and example.

Many thansk

You will find that many teachers like to teach formulas. This means they choose a fixed content for paragraphs and teach it to their students. It is easy to teach and easy to learn. But it isn’t flexible. Those formula are not rules for IELTS – they are teaching methods created by teachers. I prefer to teach flexibility because the people who benefit from my lessons are high level candidates who need that flexibility.

Hi Liz, thank you for the great essay.

For this question, is it OK to have a balanced opinion, such as:

“Although I accept that social networks negatively affect individuals and society, I would argued that they bring more benefits to users and communities as a whole.”

Then body paragraph 1 I’ll write about the negative impacts on BOTH individuals and society. Body paragraph 2 will be about the benefits, again, on BOTH individuals and society?

Could you please adivse?

It is confusing and will also be very lengthy to write – so not really a good strategy. Remember success in IELTS is often down to the choices you make. Aim for simplicity in your approach at all times.

Will there be no marks deduction for not using any conditional or question sentences in your essay?

IELTS examiner does not deduct marks. The score for grammar is based on range and accuracy. You can’t force a type of grammar into your essay unnaturally. As long as you use a good range and you aim for accuracy, you will be fine.

Can you be more clear on general sections writing Task 2 how many paragraphs are expected?

Regards, Sancia

Please see this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . You use the same lessons and tips for GT and Academic writing task 2.

thank you once again for your marvellous website!

Would you please comment if I got it right: As far as I see, the model essay above was written in response to “To what extent do you agree” question, but the structure rather is similar to “do adv-s outweigh disadv-s”. (First you speak about one side and then give more support for the ideas you agree to.)

An essay of this type asks for your opinion. You decide your own opinion. The opinion given above is a quantified, specific view point. “while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.” The body paragraphs explain the view point.

Mam, would you mind to let us know when will we get E-BOOK. for writing task-2. waiting for that

Update: MY Ideas for Topics E-book is now available. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

Thank you is literally a small word for all the things you are doing fo pr helping students in IELTS. Can you please share a link or any other source where we can find some band 9 writing samples.

Thank you, Sandeep

My main writing task 2 page contains model essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . With other websites, it is your choice if you wish to rely on model essays that may not actually be safe to use.

Is it possible to get the book before 27 April? I have my exam on 27th April. You used a balanced approach in this please reply to me if I am right?

Update: My Ideas for Topics E-book is now available. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

Hello, Liz My name is Alice. I got band 7.5~8.5 for all the other subtests which are not bad but with my writing, I got 5.5 and I was really wondering why that would have happened. I avoided contractions and informal language and kept the word limit. Few grammar errors might happen in my essays but I don’t believe that is what’s causing me to have such a low score compared to the other scores I got. Could you suggest me what possibly would have caused the situation and tell me the dos and don’ts, please? I’m just..lost. I had no idea my writing score would betray me like that.

The IELTS writing score is not based only on English language. There are specific requirement that IELTS have set and you need to know what they are and how to do it all properly. Go to the RED BAR at the top of this website and visit the main pages for writing task 1 and writing task 2. On those pages, you will find a link to band score tips and requirements. You can also purchase Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons through the RED BAR.

I tried to pay for your writing tips and I was asked for my location. Does it mean I will be sent a hardcopy of your material? If yes, please how long will it take, because my exam is in less than 2weeks. Also, can I please get it sent to my mail rather than where I stay. Thank you.

The country will decide the currency. The videos are streamed online and the documents downloaded. An automatic email is sent once payment is complete with the access link to the video lesson. Make sure you enter the correct email address and spell it correctly.

Thank you Liz, Doing that now.

Hi liz, In the last sentence on the conclusion of your essay, you wrote “local communities should do more to try and involve local people in local activity…..”. Is it ok to give a solution at the end of the conclusion which is not discussed in body paragraphs ? Thanks a lot for your efforts to help us…

Having a final comment in the conclusion is optional. It is not a requirement. You certainly should not offer a new solution in any essay about solutions. Likewise, you would not add a final opinion in the conclusion of an opinion essay. You need to be careful about using final comments in a conclusion.

liz you look so cute while teaching in lecture.I fall in love with you while listen your lectures.

Hi ma,am, Thankyou for your informative preparation tips. I had a query ma’am. Is it okay to use it’s instead of it is?

There are no contractions in any formal IELTS writing.

Hi Liz, Thank you for this essay my opinion for this essay was that facebook is detrimental, so i have so many reasons for this, such as living in a virtual world, ostentatious life style, spread of wrong information, addiction to facebook. Can i put all this into my essay? would it be too much? what if i use two body paragraphs to explain these points and use a 3rd body paragraph to talk about the beneficial aspects? thank you.

If you think facebook is detrimental that counts as one main idea which you explain in one body paragraph. IELTS writing is not about having lots and lots of ideas that you enjoy writing about. It is about selecting only the key ideas, discarding other ideas and organising them logically. Keep control of your essay at all times. More ideas does not mean a higher score.

I wanted to know whether we can use ”contractions” in writing tests? I read in one of the resources that they must not be used. Need clarification on this!

Thanks in advance.

PS. The content is really effective. I would highly recommend this in my network.

Hello liz, I got my ielts result and my writing score is less.. I just have a doubt in the introduction part. Some parents buy their children a large number of toys to play with. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the child of having a large number of toys ? This is the introduction I wrote Nowadays most of the parents spend their money to get more number of toys to their children. Toys develop children brain activity and their skills. However it would lead to addiction of technology devices and don’t enjoy time spending with other energetic and enthusiastic outdoor games. Is my introduction correct for the question?? Or what I should change for getting band 7 ? Thanks in advance

Your technique is 100% fine. Your English language is the problem. There are so many errors in this that getting a band 7 would be very difficult. In fact, it would be almost impossible with this level of English and this many mistakes.

Hi Liz. Is it wise to write an interrogative sentence as an example to an idea or a supporting idea? For example, something like, “How often do we meet people who are such good communicators online but fail badly to express and communicate in person? “. Or does this violate the technique of being formal in essay writing?

Your aim is to present supporting points and main ideas, not to open up questions for discussion.

Hi, Liz I am taking your advanced lesson of Opinion Essay. For balanced approach, you mentioned that it does not mean sitting on the fence and discussion both sides. For a topic like “Some think xxx is more important than yyy. To want extend do you agree?” Can I write that I disagree, because I consider xxx is equally important as yyy. Then I have two balanced body paragraph discussing both sides. Is this an acceptable approach? Thank you in advance and looking forward your reply.

That is sitting on the fence. In which case is XXX important and in which case is YYY important. Be specific. Quantify you view.

Thanks for the quick response and useful information 🙂

Exceed to word limit . more than 350 words I think

Hello Thank you for all materials they are so useful and I love your webpage !!! Liz I can see that there are some essay questions which are asked as “what is your opinion” & some of them ” Do you agree”; I wonder if their written structure is the same or should it be a bit different ? Thank you for your answer in advance!

It’s exactly the same. IELTS like to paraphrase instructions. The meaning and aims are 100% the same.

After considering all the above points we can conclude that,…… is it a good way to conclude the essay ?

You are marked on your own personal use of English, not your memory. EAch sentence must be uniquely written by yourself in the exam room. That is a learned phrase and not your own English. Don’t try to cheat the test. Don’t memorise phrases or sentences. You can learn ideas, you can learn grammar and you can learn words, but not phrases or sentences.

that is quite confused . Sorry for asking but if i try to remember the linking words , structure things like (not only … but also…) or ( furthermore , if clause 1,2,3 , despite of , in spite ,.. ) , is that ok? what is the different between learning phrases and grammar ‘s structure ?

Memorised language in IELTS refers to people learning whole sentences word for word or even whole paragraphs. These are people who want to use other people’s English in their English language test. This is not accepted by IELTS. You need to learn expressions and grammar which you then use to create your own sentences in the test. However, be careful of learning too many phrases and only use them when they are appropriate to use. They should only form one part of the sentence you create. As for grammar, you learn linking words and clauses to help you create your own sentences in the test. This is not memorised word for word, it is a way to create unique sentences. I hope that helps you understand.

Hi liz is really awaresom with your videos. I PRAY FOR SOUND HEALTH AND QUICK RECOVERY

Hi Liz, I wish you the quickest recovery.

Thank you for your perfect site.

There is NO difference at all. They are paraphrased instructions for the same essay.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample, Band 9, Written by Simon Corcoran, Modified by Mohsen Keshmiri

In many cities the use of video cameras in public places is being increased in order to reduce crime, but some people believe that these measures restrict our individual freedom. Do the benefits of increased security outweigh the drawbacks?

It is true that video surveillance has become commonplace in many cities in recent years. While I understand that critics may see this as an invasion of privacy, I believe that the benefits do outweigh the drawbacks.

There are two main reasons why people might disapprove of the use of video cameras in public places. The first objection is that these cameras invade our privacy, in the sense that we are constantly being watched by the authorities or by private security firms. Many people find this intrusive and feel that the recording of their movements is a form of state control that curtails their individual freedom. The second argument against the proliferation of CCTV cameras is that they are being used as an alternative to police officers patrolling the streets. If this is indeed happening, then it is unlikely that members of the public will feel safer.

In spite of the drawbacks mentioned above, I believe that the use of video cameras to monitor public areas is a positive measure overall. The key objective of video surveillance is to deter criminals and to prevent crime being committed by perpetrators. For example, petty criminals like shoplifters and pickpockets are less likely to operate in parts of cities where they know that they are under close surveillance. At the same time, when illegal acts of crime are committed, the police can make use of video evidence to catch and prosecute offenders. Therefore, in my view, video cameras offer valuable support to police officers, and they make cities safer for inhabitants, workers and visitors alike.

In conclusion, it seems to me that we gain more than we lose from the enhanced security that CCTV cameras bring to our cities. This is provided that the use of such surveillance devices remains only for arresting potential criminals putting our society at large in danger.

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Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2: Achieve a Band 9

ielts writing task 2 vocabulary band 9 - image by Magoosh

These words and phrases work for both the Academic and General Training IELTS exams!

IELTS Writing Task 2 Vocabulary: Band 9 Factors

Before we dive into vocabulary, let’s take a quick look at what, exactly, IETLS Writing Task 2 is evaluating. As the IELTS rubric shows, you’re evaluated on four different areas:

Task response (25%)
Coherence and cohesion (25%)
Lexical resource (25%)
Grammatical range and accuracy (25%)

Lexical resource measures your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary without errors and in proper context in your written responses. In other words, vocabulary alone isn’t enough to get you a band 9 score. However, using a variety of words that are appropriate for band 9 can add to your lexical resource score, raising it overall.

That, however, comes with a few caveats. First of all, you must use the terms correctly . There’s zero benefits to using complex terms incorrectly—you won’t get extra credit for including them.

Second of all, you need to use a variety of words and phrases . If you can (correctly) use the term “Conversely,” that’s awesome—unless you use it five times in a single essay. In that case, it’s likely to hurt your score more than it helps.

Keeping that in mind, let’s dive into some advanced vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2!

Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2: From Band 5 to Band 9

Again, keep in mind that the IELTS Writing Task 2 vocabulary band 9 terms I’m using here aren’t a guarantee of scoring in band 9. They are, however, advanced phrases that you can use to present more complex ideas. For each one, take a look at the example using it to see what it looks like in practice!

Ready? Here are some examples of advanced vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2 in different categories.

Examples of Introductions and Openings Vocabulary

Examples of stating an opinion vocabulary, examples of transition vocabulary, examples of “giving an example” vocabulary, examples of concluding vocabulary and phrases, more ielts writing task 2 advanced vocabulary resources.

Remember, the best way to get an IELTS Writing Task 2 band 9 is to work on improving all aspects of your writing. So what are your next steps in learning to incorporate advanced vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2? Check out the following resources to boost your score!

Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Writing Rubric
The Best IELTS Task 2 Writing Template
Top Tips to Score 8+ in IELTS Writing Task 2

Eliot Friesen-Meyers is the Senior Curriculum Manager for Magoosh IELTS and TOEFL. He attended Goshen College (B.A.), New York University (M.A.), and Harvard University (M.T.S.), gaining experience and skills in curriculum development, ESOL instruction, online teaching and learning, and IELTS and TOEFL test prep education. Eliot’s teaching career started with Literacy Americorps in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later, taught ESL programs at Northeastern University, University of California-Irvine, and Harold Washington College. Eliot was also a speaker at the 2019 TESOL International Conference . With over 10 years of experience, he understands the challenges students face and loves helping them overcome those challenges. Come join Eliot on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram . Recent blog posts Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 1 Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 2

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Samples

Prepare for the IELTS Academic Test by using this collection of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 practice samples. This collection is a great way to gain insight and practice for the exam.

The given graphs illustrate the conclusion of what cultural and leisure activities boys and girls prefer to do in their free time.

The chart below shows the results of a survey of people who visited four types of tourist attraction in Britain in the year 1999. Summarise it.

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual ’ income in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The given bar chart illustrates the percentage of residents’ coffee and tea purchasing and consuming habits in last 4 weeks in five different cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Hobart) in Australia.

The charts below show the propotions of british, students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The graph below show the number of hours spent on social media per day from 2010to 2016 as well as the reasons why they used them. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting.

The table below gives information about the USA's top exports in 2021 and the percentage change with 2020. The bar chart shows the percentage of the USA exports sent to the UK between 2010 and 2020.

the graph below show the number of hours spent on social media per day from 2010 to 2016 as well as the reasons why they used them . Summarise the information by selecting and reporting

the graph below show the number of hours spent on social media per day from 2010 to 2016 as wel as the reasons why they used them . Summarise the information by selecting and reporting.

TASK 1: The bar chart shows the average number of hours students in five different universities studied.

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The tables gives information about the water use in three sectors in six countries.

The maps below show the city layout of Brisbane between 1975 and the current day. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Queen Mary Hospital The diagrams below show the changes that have taken place at Queen Mary Hospital since its construction in 1960. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant

The chart below gives information about the journey to school by children aged 11 to 16 in the UK in a year. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

WRITING TASK 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows average UK salaries, by city. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

The diagram below shows the stages and equipment used in the cement-making process, and how cement is used to produce concrete for building purposes. Summarize and information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The Table below shows the numbers of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbished. That starts so the result of surveys asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit during the same two periods.

The graph below shows the quantities of goods transported in the UK between 1974 and 2002 by four different modes of transport. You should write at least 150 words.

The charts below show the number of working hours per week, in the industrial sector, in four European countries in 2002

The charts below give information on average life expectancy in four countries, from 1993 to 2008. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The two bar charts below show the proportion of 14 to 16 - year old students studying a foreign language in an English spoken country and the top 3 foreign languages. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The chart below shows how frequently people in the USA ate at fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. summarize the information and make comparison where relevant. The chart below shows how frequently people in the USA ate at fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013. summarize the information and make comparison where relevant.

The two line graphs below show New Zealand import figures from Australia and Japan in the years 1994 - 2004. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart shows the percentage of small, medium, large companies which used social media for business purposes between 2012 to 2016.

The table below gives information about the amount of beef exported in five different countries in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Summerise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The charts below give information on the ages of the populations of Yemen and Italy in 2000 and projections for 2050. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table and charts below give information on the police budget for 2017 and 2018 in one area of Britain. The table shows where the money came from and the charts show how it was distributed.

The chart below gives information on the percentage of British people giving money to charity by age range for the years 1990 and 2010. Sumarise the information by selecting and reporting the main feautures and make comparasions where relevant.

The chart below shows the changes that took place in three different areas of crime in Newport city centre from 2003 to 2012.

The bar chart below describes some changes about the percentage of people were born in Australia and who were born outside Australia living in urban, rural and town between 1995 and 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The bar chart shows the percentages of the UK workforce in five major industries in 1841 and 2011. Write at least 150 words.

the diagram illustrates the process of making smoked fish

The table below shows the production of milk anually in four countries in 1990, 2000 and 2010

the chart below compares percentage of time that parents spent time with children in Australia in 2013

the graph below shows three types of sports that has mostly played between 1985 and 2005

The map below shows the changes in an American town between 1954 and 2014

The charts below show what students in high school want to become when they grow up.

The chart below shows average cost of a month contract for four different mobiles (cell phones) in a European country from January to September 2002.

The diagram below shows how instant noodles are manufactured. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The map below shows the development of the village of Ryemouth between 1995 and present.

The line graph below illustrates the annual visitors spend for visitors to New Zealand from Australia, USA, UK, Japan and china for the years 1996 to 2014.

The bar chart gives information about the life expectancy in Japan, Korea, the United States, and Indonesia, and the table shows the change in life expectancy between 1953 and 2008.

The table below shows the results of a survey on workplace complaints in Germany in 2001.

The diagram below shows the process of producing smoked fish

The map below shows the changes in an American town between 1948 and 2010.

the charts below show the percentage of secondary school students at a school in the UK taking different subjects in 1995 and this year.

The process diagram illustrates the steps by which liquid chocolcate is produced from cocoa beans.

The diagram below shows the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram below shows how electricity is generated by using hot water from underground.

The diagram shows the process of making smoked fish.

The graph below shows the number of shops that closed and number of new shops that opened in one country between 2011 and 2018. summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table below shows the number of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbishment. The charts show the result of surveys asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit, during the same two period.

The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2-3- and 2040.

The graphs below show the total percentage of films released and the total percentage of ticket sales in 1996 and 2006 in a country. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

The chart and table below give information about tourists at a particular holiday resort in Australia.

The diagram shows how apple is canned.

the line graph shows the food consumtion in australia from 1950 till 2010.

The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities.

The line graph below describes the production of different fuels in the UK from 1981-2000.

The maps below show the center of a small town called Birshire as it is now, and plans for its development. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table below shows daily oil production in 4 countries from 2000 to 2004. Write at least 150 words.

The charts below show what UK graduate and postgraduate students who did not go into full-time work did after leaving college in 2008

The bar charts below shows estimated world illiteracy rates by region and by gender for the last year. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram below shows how one type of coal is used to produce electricity. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table below shows the percentage participation of women in senior management in three companies between 1975 and 2015.

The graphs below show four categories of citrus fruits and the top three countries to which these were exported (in thousand tonnes) in 2012. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram illustrates the process of cacao beans

The first chart below shows the number of British visitors to the US and American visitors to the UK from 2011 to 2015. The second chart shows the spent by those visitors in that period. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The table shows the results of a survey asking US consumers about shopping at K-mart.

The diagram below show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison where relevant.

The table illustrates the projected costings during the five years in American dollars for three environmental strategies for stable forestry, whilst the pie chart presents the anticipated expenses distributed by four sectors in the first year.

The chart below shows the proportion of male and female students studying six - art related subjects at a UK university in 2011. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant

The maps below show the changes of a school 1985 to present time.

The bar chart below shows estimated world illiteracy rates by region and by gender for the last year. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. You should write at least 150 words. Estimated world illiteracy rates, by region and by gender, last year

The graph shows the electricity production in France from 1990 and 2000

The graph compares employment rates in three sectors of the economy in the UK, 2000-2010 Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparions where relevant.

The chart below shows the average cost of monthly contract for four different mobile (cell phones) in a European country from January to September 2002, measured in euro.

The bar chart below shows shares of expenditures for five major categories in United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan in the year 2009.

The diagram shows the stages involved in the process of making leather goods

The table below shows the income and jobs generated last year by tourism in Canadian states and territories.

The table below shows statistics about the top five countries for international tourism in 2012 and 2013.

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System of a Down singer Serj Tankian’s new book details band’s up and downs, and what fuels his activism

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On the Shelf

Down With the System

By Serj Tankian Hachette: 352 pages, $30 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

Serj Tankian is a man of many talents. Aside from being the lead singer of rock band System of a Down, he’s also a solo artist, composer, filmmaker and painter. This month he can add author to that list, as his memoir “Down With the System” comes out May 14.

Born in Beirut to Armenian parents, Tankian and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was 7. His multiplatinum-selling band System of a Down is composed of four men of Armenian ancestry who grew up in L.A. Though it’s been almost 20 years since the band’s last album “Hypnotize” came out in 2005, their influence in rock remains undeniable. Recently the band was tapped to headline a show at Golden Gate Park accompanied by the Deftones, the Mars Volta, Viagra Boys and Vows on August 17.

“Down With the System” starts with Tankian, a longtime champion of Armenian causes, being grilled by Howard Stern in 2001 for an essay he wrote called “Understanding Oil,” which he posted on the band’s website in the days after 9/11. He called 9/11 “a reaction to existing injustices around the world, generally unseen to most Americans.” With America reeling from the attacks, the essay sparked considerable controversy. Stern told listeners how Tankian “said the right things” on the show, and Tankian calls it a missed opportunity to speak his mind on American foreign policy.

He vowed to never let that happen again.

Ever outspoken, Tankian spoke with The Times about his book, why he’s optimistic about Armenia, and whether we might see another album from System of a Down.

What compelled you to take on a memoir?

I had a call from a literary agent in London, who asked if I’d be interested in a memoir. My first answer was, not really. I want to write a book about the intersection of justice and spirituality [laughs], a philosophy book, and ultimately we realized that both can be done in the same form. So it became a memoir of sorts.

Are you able to be optimistic about what’s going on in Armenia?

I’m an eternal optimist because I have to be, based on my culture. We’ve had such a tragic history that without optimism, you wouldn’t get out of bed. The reason that I’m optimistic is, Armenia has a very strong, growing economy right now — in fact, one of the strongest in all of Europe, in terms of GDP growth. The 2018 Velvet Revolution, the peaceful revolution, really pivoted the country into a more transparent, responsible governance. It changed a lot of things and slowly got rid of all the post-Soviet corrupt policies. The problem was in 2020, when Azerbaijan, along with the help of Turkey, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. It led to basically a brain drain, and the death of 5,000 men — like a whole generation of young men.

Singer/producer Steve Albini performs onstage

How Steve Albini changed rock music, in 12 essential songs

For those that don’t know much about what’s going on in Armenia, can you point them toward a fact-based website, a book, a film?

There’s a wonderful English news website from Armenia called Civil Net [ civilnet.am ] that they can check out. The U.S.’s own Radio Free Armenia is also a resource.

I know it’s a question you get every day, but will there be another System of a Down record?

Time will tell! I go into a lot of nitty-gritty details with the process of understanding each other and laying out what everyone’s vision is, at least what my vision is for the band, and to move forward. I’m proud to say that, in 2020, we were able to galvanize and do two songs [“Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”] that we dedicated to our people in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and to raise awareness and funds for those people suffering.

Any concern about how your bandmates might interpret some of what you’ve shared in the book?

Sure, sure. I was very honest because that’s who I am. I’m an activist, and without being honest, there’s no activism. But at the same time, I have compassion and love for the guys. I have respect for the guys. One of them is my brother-in-law! We’re a family. We’ve been together for 30 years. The reason I even wanted to write it was, some of it’s already public, but not really perceived correctly. I wanted to put it to bed so we can move beyond this.

Is there a live performance of yours that sticks out in your mind a little bit more than the rest?

I would say [System’s] show in 2015 in Yerevan, Armenia. It was the 100th commemoration of the Armenian genocide in Republic Square and it was streamed worldwide, so we had millions of people watching. It felt like the top of the mountain for the band, like we had achieved something greater than music. It was being with our people, our heritage, where we come from, and playing for them and for our ancestors and our grandparents who were survivors of the genocide. It was a feeling unparalleled.

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The difference between a band 7 and a band 9 essay

Home » IELTS academic task 2 » The difference between a band 7 and a band 9 essay

This article will clarify the differences between an essay scoring at band 7 and an essay scoring at band 9 . The explanation of these differences will help you to reach a higher score for task 2 of the academic writing category of the IELTS exam .

Firstly, it’s vital to understand the expectations of the examiner who will score your IELTS writing. There are clear differences in criteria that determine a Band 9 from a Band 7 essay. You can get an ex-IELTS examiner to review your essay here . Another option is the free IELTS writing evaluation software we recently launched.

A band 9 essay answers the essay question in full and offers a well-developed response. The essay is perfectly cohesive and paragraphed, uses a range of language, expression and accurate structure.

A band 7 essay aims to respond to the question although the answer could be more fully developed. It attempts a cohesive structure and logical flow but there may be some omissions of connectors.

A band 7 essay shows a sufficient scope of language with occasional redundancy, errors in word selection or minor grammatical mistakes.

Let’s take a look at two examples of the first paragraph of essays that respond to the same question of task 2 of the academic writing component of the IELTS exam . The first one scored in band 7:

Should wealthy people be obliged to share their financial success with poor people by supporting health services and education, or is this the responsibility of the poor to improve their own standard of living?

I believe that wealthy people should be obliged to share their wealth with poorer people. But they should not have to support health services and education only, but other areas if they prefer.

First of all, we cannot avoid people which are poor. As an example, we see homeless in the train station, at the bus stops and asking us for money . Rich people have extra money and therefore, they should give some help to people with no housing and money .

Secondly, many people now are not finding jobs or although they are working, they are not having enough money to pay for his houses or flats especially in city-living which has a high cost of living now. For example, people living in London are working at low income salaries but the cost of living is so higher in contrast. Therefore, it is difficult for these people to have extra money for extra things.

In the introduction, the writer addresses the first part of the question but doesn’t respond to the second part regarding the poor taking responsibility for its own standard of living.

There is a punctuation error and some redundancy using the word but . In the second paragraph, the candidate provides a topic sentence and example. The example is quite vague – there is no reference to a specific train station or how rich people could give money to the poor. Instead of using a synonym, the writer uses the word money three times.

The second paragraph is slightly better as the example provided is specific. It refers to London and illustrates the contrast between the cost of living and purchasing power.

However, the errors in tense, wrong possessive adjective ( his instead of their ) and basic, repetitive language will keep the scoring of this essay to a 7.

Let’s turn now to an example of an essay that would have most likely scored a band 9:

Income and equality is an issue that has plagued civilisation since the beginning of time . Whereas , some societies strongly disagree with “every man for himself” others believe in helping their neighbour . The following essay will cover European approaches using real world examples to support arguments.

plagued civilisation - collocation. Whereas , - more advanced grammar structure. “every man for himself” - correct use of idiomatic expression. helping their neighbour - not exactly an idiomatic expression, but a stylistic way of referring to helping out others. The following essay … - Signals to the examiner the direction we will take the essay.

Wealth distribution for social ends such as healthcare and education is seen as a basic societal right in Denmark . There are also tremendous benefits for levelling the playing field . For example, a recent study by the University of Copenhagen showed that when the rich were forced into sharing their income amongst the economically challenged , over 70% of the wealthy reported feeling a higher sense of wellbeing afterwards. Therefore, although it is undoubtedly contentious, there are tremendous benefits for rich and poor alike to participate in wealth sharing endeavours.

Wealth distribution - collocation. social ends - eloquent manner of expression and also less common than other expressions. economically challenged - variation of language - not consistently using “the poor”. “levelling the playing field” - appropriate use of a specific idiomatic expression. rich and poor alike - more sophisticated way to express “both”.

Secondly, evidence from history shows that laying the responsibility with the poor to improve their lot is clearly an erroneous policy . In most humanitarian governmental bodies , scientific reports have proved countless times that the initiative must start with external assistance. For instance, a pilot study showed that when poverty stricken individuals where motivated by more than just themselves i.e external mentors, they had a success rate three times higher than self motivated candidates . Thus, experts generally agree that the most effective humanitarian assistance involves helping one to help themselves, which underscores the common expression “no man is an island” .

laying the responsibility with - sophisticated grammatical structure. “improve their lot” - very appropriate idiomatic expression because it’s strongly related to wealth. erroneous policy - more sophisticated than saying “wrong policy”. humanitarian governmental bodies - topic specific vocabulary. …. success rate three times higher than self motivated candidates - comparison grammar structure. “no man is an island” - yet another idiomatic expression from a famous English poem.

To conclude, it is clear that when the rich share their wealth -albeit under duress- they stand to benefit. Furthermore, when the poor gain direct support the help given has a multiplier effect , therefore both actions should be strongly encouraged

-albeit under duress - a very sophisticated way of saying forced. multiplier effect - collocation.

Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence that clearly defines the writer’s opinion and main ideas.

Complex adverb clauses – starting with Whereas and While – are well-structured.

Instead of repeating the word obliged , the writer uses synonyms such as required and have a duty to offer a variety of language. The examples in the first and second paragraphs are very specific and clearly develop the main idea.

To conclude, manage your time so you can plan a clear outline, your main ideas and use a variety of language and accurate structures to put together a succinct argument that fully answers the question.

If you want to improve your vocabulary, and start learning more topic specific vocabulary, using Ted Talks and gap fill exercises, then download this massive jumbo PDF of IELTS materials.

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Scriabin Association

Founded to celebrate scriabin, scriabinism and scriabinists…, the texts of scriabin’s works: some observations of a performer-researcher-teacher. by simon nicholls.

The handwriting of any individual is a kind of self-portrait, and reading a handwritten letter can give an indication of the writer’s character and state of mind, and of his or her attitude to the content of the letter. An author’s manuscript often yields valuable information about the creative process; the manuscripts of Dickens or Dostoevsky provide many examples. Examining such a document is a very different experience from reading a novel in cold print. With a musical manuscript, the spacing, the character of the pen-strokes and of the musical handwriting, as well as details of layout which cannot always be exactly reproduced by the process of engraving, give similar information, valuable to the student and to the performer. Beyond factual information, the visual impression of the manuscript, the Notenbild , can be a direct stimulus from the composer to the interpreter’s imagination. In this way, study of the composer’s manuscript can lead both to a narrowing of the possibility of textual error and to a widening of the possibilities of imaginative response to interpretation.

Examining the manuscripts of any great composer or literary author is always a thrilling experience. I have spent many hours studying Scriabin’s manuscripts in the Glinka Museum, Moscow, which holds in its vast archive many fair and rough copies of complete works as well as sketches by Scriabin. The first thing which strikes one is the extreme beauty and clarity of the scores. The slender exactitude of the writing and drawing corresponds to the delicacy and transparency of Scriabin’s own playing of his music, and makes it clear to the interpreter that a similar clarity, precision and grace is demanded in his or her own performance – something extremely difficult to achieve. The care with which the manuscripts were prepared confirms the testimony of Scriabin’s friend and biographer, Leonid Sabaneyev, who was bemused by the care taken by the composer in the placing of slurs, the choice of sharps or flats in accidentals (contributing in many cases to an analysis of the harmony concerned), the spacing of the lines of the musical texture over the staves and the upward or downward direction of note stems.

It was Heinrich Schenker who pointed out the expressive and structural significance of the manuscript notation of Beethoven, and who was instrumental in establishing an archive in the Austrian National Library, Vienna, of photographic reproductions of musical manuscripts. His pioneering work has led gradually to the present wealth of Urtext editions and facsimiles of many composers’ manuscripts. Reproductions of Skryabin’s manuscripts have been published by Muzyka (Moscow), Henle (Munich) and the Juilliard School (New York; their manuscript collection is available online). [1] These reproductions cover several significant compositions by Scriabin: Sonata no. 5, op. 53; Two pieces, op. 59; Poème-nocturne, op. 61; Sonata no. 6, op. 62; Two poèmes, op. 63; Sonata no. 7, op. 64. The remarks below have no pretensions to system or completeness; they are merely observations based on initial study, and intended as a stimulus to others to examine the manuscripts for themselves.

In maturity, Scriabin took immense care with his manuscripts. Speaking to Sabaneyev, he compared the difficulty of writing down a conception in sound to the process of rendering a three-dimensional object on a flat surface. As a student and as a young composer, though, Scriabin was by no means ideally accurate or painstaking in his notation. This was the cause of Rimsky-Korsakov’s irritated response to the manuscript score of Scriabin’s Piano Concerto – the elder composer initially considered it to be too full of mistakes to be worthy of serious attention. Mitrofan Belaieff, Scriabin’s publisher, patron and mentor, frequently begged the composer to be more careful in correcting proofs. The original editions, particularly of the early works, contain many errors which originate in some cases from Scriabin’s manuscript and in others from poor proofreading – as far as we can tell; some early manuscripts are now lost.

We are indebted to the fine musician Nikolai Zhilyayev for correct editions of Scriabin’s music. Zhilyayev knew Scriabin well and discussed many misprints with the composer; others he detected by his own scrupulous and scholarly work and prodigious memory. As Scriabin’s harmony and voice-leading were impeccably systematic and logical at all stages of his development, those who have had to do with the old editions will know that is often possible to correct mistakes by analogy or knowledge of harmonic style.

Zhilyayev was the revising editor for a new edition of Scriabin’s music, published by the Soviet organisation Gosudarstvennoe izdatel’stvo muzykal’nyi sektor (State publisher, musical division – ‘Muzsektor’) from the 1920s on, each work or opus number being issued separately. These beautifully prepared editions are painstakingly annotated, corrections being indicated in two layers: those discussed with the composer and therefore beyond doubt, and those which Zhilyayev considered likely (and he was usually right). This work was the basis of the complete edition of the piano music published by Gosudarstvennoe muszykal’noe izdatel’stvo (State musical publishing house – ‘Muzgiz’) in three volumes (1947, 1948 and 1953). [2] Zhilyayev fell victim to Stalin’s terror; he was arrested in 1937 and shot in the following year. His name does not appear on this three-volume edition.

A new complete edition is appearing gradually under the imprint Muzyka–P. Jurgenson. The general editor is Valentina Rubtsova, biographer of Scriabin and head of research at the Scriabin Museum, Moscow, assisted by Pavel Shatsky. As in Rubtsova’s editions for Henle, full credit is given to Zhilyayev, and the annotations as to origins and variants are very thorough in this valuable new edition.

A very limited number of Scriabin’s manuscripts has been available in facsimile until now. The collection of ‘Youthful and Early Works’ prepared by Donald Garvelmann and published in New York in 1970 by Music Treasure Publications [3] contains a facsimile of the early E flat minor sonata (without opus number) of 1889, a typical youthful manuscript of the composer, rather heavy in its style of penmanship. The manuscript of the op. 11 preludes (excerpts are shown in ill.1), though tidier, shows a similar style.

ill. 1) Extract of Op. 11 Preludes manuscript

The Russian website ‘Virtual’nye vystavki’ (‘Virtual exhibitions’) [4] gives in facsimile the first page of the Etude op. 8 no. 12, with more fingering than is shown in the Belaieff edition, and also the first page of the manuscript score of the Poem of Ecstasy , providing a striking example of the change in the composer’s manuscript style. A facsimile on the site of the first two pages of the score of the Piano Concerto shows some of the copious blue-pencilling of Rimsky-Korsakov from the occasion mentioned earlier, and the site also reproduces Skryabin’s letter of apology to Rimsky-Korsakov apologising for the errors and blaming neuralgia. [5] Comparison of this letter with the one to the musicologist N. F. Findeizen dated 26 December 1907, also viewable on the site, gives another clear example of the change in Scriabin’s handwriting. [6]

Op. 53: Sonata no. 5

A facsimile of the Fifth Sonata has been published by Muzyka. [7] The manuscript of this work was presented to the Skryabin Museum, Moscow, by the widow of the pianist and composer Alfred Laliberté, to whom Scriabin had given the manuscript. This is a very different document from the early E flat minor sonata manuscript, and shows Scriabin’s fastidious and calligraphically exquisite mature hand. By this time both Scriabin’s music manuscript and his handwriting had developed an elongated ‘upward-striving’ manner. We might make a comparison with the remark of Boris Pasternak that the composer ‘had trained himself various kinds of sublime lightness and unburdened movement resembling flight’ [8] – the handwriting is expressive of this quality. Examples of Scriabin’s handwriting in letters to Belaieff in 1897 (ill. 2) and to the composer and conductor Felix Blumenfeld in 1906 (ill. 3) show the dramatic difference in handwriting style that developed.

ill. 2) Scriabin’s handwriting 1897

ill. 3) Scriabin’s handwriting 1906

The manuscript of the Fifth Sonata shows that, although Scriabin spoke French, he did not immediately provide a French text for the epigraph, which is from the verse Poem of Ecstasy . This poem was written in Russian at the same period that the symphonic poem was composed. There is a request on the manuscript to the engraver to leave space for a French version. The French text, which is the usual source of English translations, does not reflect the Russian with complete accuracy: the forces mystérieuses , ‘mysterious forces’, which are being called into life are skrytye stremlen’ya , ‘hidden strivings’, in the original. [9] In other words, it is open to doubt that any sort of ‘magical ritual’, in a superstitious sense, is being depicted in this work, a suggestion made (perhaps in a figurative sense) by the early writer on Scriabin Evgenii Gunst and elaborated upon by the composer’s British-American biographer, Alfred Swan. The epigraph may be regarded as an invocation of Scriabin’s own inner aspirations, the creative power which the composer equated with the divine principle.

Work on the Fifth Sonata started in 1907, at a period when a rift had developed between Scriabin and the publishing house of Belaieff. The committee running the publishers after the death of Belaieff had proposed a renegotiation of fees. It is possible that Scriabin was unaware of the preferential and generous treatment Belaieff had accorded him; certainly, he was offended by the proposals and withdrew from his agreement with the publishers. The Sonata was published at Scriabin’s own expense, but was taken into the publishing concern run by the conductor Serge Koussevitsky, Rossiiskoe muzykal’noe izdatel’stvo (RMI). Later still, Scriabin quarrelled with Koussevitsky too, and the composer’s last works were published by the firm which had brought out his very first published compositions, Jurgenson.

The main differences between the manuscript of the Fifth Sonata and most modern printed texts are:

1) a missing set of ties at the barline between bars 98 and 99. These ties are also missing in RMI, and in the edition printed at Scriabin’s own expense. [10] Muzgiz adds the ties in dotted lines, by analogy with the parallel passage at bars 359–360. The commentary to the Muzgiz edition states that sketches of the work make use of an abbreviated notation at this point which could have led to this misunderstanding, as the editors describe it. Christoph Flamm’s notes to the Bärenreiter edition are definite as to Scriabin’s intention not to tie over this barline, citing the repetition of accidentals in bar 99 as being conclusive proof. [11]

2) the movement of the middle voice in bars 122–123, 126–127, 136–137, 383–384, 387–388, 397–398 ( Meno vivo sections): the manuscript gives a downward resolution in the middle voice (d flat – c in the first passage and g flat – f in the second) whereas the printed editions give an upward resolution (d flat – d natural and g flat – g). It is as if only at a second attempt (as revised for the printed version) has Scriabin fully realised the implications of his own (then very new) harmony: the resolutions as printed resolve into the augmented harmony around them, whereas the resolutions in the earlier version do not. Knowing about this early version, moreover, adds point to the grandiose version of the same section at bars 315–316, 319–20 and 323–324, where the downward resolution is retained. One might think of the meno vivo sections as being potential states, and the grandiose version as representing a fully realised condition.

It should be remembered that the Sonata was composed at breakneck speed, completed in a few days, and revised afterwards; Valentina Rubtsova, editor of the facsimile, suggests that the manuscript provides a glimpse into the composer’s creative laboratory. She further points out that Scriabin uses double barlines to indicate structural divisions, whereas publishers’ house style often requires a double bar at any change of key-signature or time-signature. This has resulted in the insertion of a number of non-authentic double bars in some published versions of the Fifth Sonata. Double bars occur in the manuscript in the following places only:

before bar 47 (beginning of main sonata exposition)

before bar 120 ( Meno vivo , the second subject area)

before bar 367 (indicating, perhaps a slight hesitation before this rising sequence)

before bar 381 (parallel passage to bar 120).

The visual effect of the manuscript is therefore more continuous than that of the printed edition. It should be mentioned that the Urtext printed version given in the volume containing the manuscript is a corrected version of the RMI edition. This edition was prepared with the composer’s agreement and during his lifetime. The manuscript, though, is an invaluable source for the reasons given above.

A similar use of double barlines to that in the Sonata no. 5 is made elsewhere by Scriabin, including in the Sonata no. 6 (see below) and the Sonata no. 8. It can be said, from these examinations, that Scriabin uses double barlines structurally or even expressively, and that they often should be made audible in some way, in sharp contradistinction to the purely ‘grammatical’ double bars referred to above. The definition of ‘sometimes’ and ‘often’ is a non-scientific one and comes down to the player’s own interpretive insight, but where there is a double barline and no change of time- or key-signature, the double bar clearly has structural significance.

The addition of a double bar by a publisher can confuse the interpreter. For example, Bach’s engraved edition of his own Second Partita has no double bar, in fact no barline at all, at the beginning of the third section of the Sinfonia (ill. 4.) The insertion of a double bar at this point, even in some ‘Urtext’ editions (because of the change of time-signature) leads many performers to treat the final chord of the middle section like a ‘starter’s pistol’ for the quicker final section, which, as consideration of the musical content will quickly demonstrate, starts on the second quaver of the bar with the fugue subject.

ill. 4) Manuscript of Sinfonia from Bach’s Keyboard Partita no. 2

The notes by Valentina Rubtsova to the facsimile of the Fifth Sonata mention Scriabin’s differing use of rallentando in its full version and of the abbreviation rall. , and the possible implications of such usage for performance:

[…] in b. 382 Scriabin indicated molto rallentando , while in b. 386 and 390 he confined himself to [a] shortened and somewhat careless rall. It seems that the theme sounded to him just like that: with a more substantial broadening in b.382 and in a somewhat generalized manner in b. 386 and 390. [12]

A related expressive function of details in the writing of performance directions will be noted below in the case of the Poème-Nocturne , op. 61.

Now we move to a group of Scriabin’s manuscripts, recently published on line by the Juilliard School of New York. The works with opus numbers 52, 53 and 58 to 64 were published by Koussevitsky’s firm, RMI, mentioned above. (The Poem of Ecstasy , op. 54, was already contracted to Belaieff, as were opp. 56 and 57; there is no work with the number 55.) Opp. 59 and 61 to 64 (op. 60 is an orchestral score, Prometheus ) were bound together in one volume at some time. Koussevitsky’s archive went with him when he left Russia in 1920. The majority of the archive is now in the Library of Congress, but this volume somehow came onto the open market, and was sold at Sotheby’s in 2000. The purchaser, Bruce Kovner, businessman, collector and philanthropist, generously donated his entire collection to Juilliard School in 2006, and Juilliard have made the contents of the volume he purchased available in excellent facsimile online [13] – a huge step forward in making Scriabin manuscript facsimiles available to the musical public. The Sonata No. 7 has also been published in an equally excellent facsimile by Henle with informative notes by Valentina Rubtsovsa. [14] Some observations on these manuscripts follow.

Op. 59 no. 1, Poème

b. 15: an accidental is missing before the r. h. d sharp, third quaver of the bar. This mistake, as well as the missing accidental in b. 13, was reproduced in the first edition, but corrected by Zhilyayev.

b.19: the fifth quaver in r. h. is spelled in the manuscript as b double flat, harder to read than the a natural printed in most editions, but consistent with the d flat bass of this bar and typical of Scriabin’s fastidiousness in his choice of accidentals. The spelling was reproduced in the first edition, but altered without comment by Zhilyayev, who did not have the manuscript available. (This manuscript was also not available to the editors at the time of preparation of the Muzyka-Jurgenson edition.) Subsequent editions, including Muzyka-Jurgenson, followed Zhilyayev’s reading. The ‘spelling’ of a note may well have an effect on the player of a wind or string instrument as regards actual pitch, and Sabaneyev discussed this with Scriabin. But a good pianist will often respond by minute adjustments of touch to the difference of inner hearing caused by enharmonic differences of spelling. [15]

b. 23–25: there is evidence in these bars of erased octave doublings in the right hand phrases, though the lower octave to the initial a, r.h. second quaver of bar 23, has not been erased – a mistake rightly queried by the editor. Here, the texture is delicate and transparent, but it will be remembered that Scriabin often preferred single notes to octaves in passages of powerful sonority where an effect of brightness was desirable (e.g. final climaxes of the Fifth Sonata and Vers la Flamme ). Sabaneyev criticised the composer for scoring his orchestral music with doublings at the unison rather than the octave, but this seems to have been Scriabin’s preference in many places.

b. 28 and 30: The three r.h. quavers which continue the middle voice at the end of these bars were first written by Scriabin in the upper staff, but then erased and put into the lower staff, clarifying the voice-leading. This is an example of the care taken by the composer in the optical presentation of his voices.

b. 34: the manuscript and the first edition have d natural in r.h. upper voice, second, fourth and sixth quavers. This error was corrected by Zhilyayev, who changed these notes to d sharps, noting the analogy in bar 6.

b. 36: the tie between third and fourth quavers of the bar in r.h. is missing in the manuscript, but was supplied in the first edition – possibly a correction in proof by the composer.

b. 38: the acciaccatura at the beginning of the bar for both hands was written by Scriabin with a quaver tail without the customary cross-stroke. This seems to have been the composer’s usual habit – compare the beginning of the Sixth Sonata, written in the same way, as well as other instances – and, in the case of the present Poème, the notation was altered in the first edition. The RMI edition of the Sonata, however, shows the acciaccatura with a quaver-type tail, though many later editions add a cross-stroke. It may be felt that in both cases Scriabin’s notation may suggest a more deliberate execution of the acciaccaturas.

b.39: note the beautiful and unusual notation of the final sonority, a single stem uniting sounds many octaves apart and played by two hands. It is suggestive of the deep and strange sonority of this ending. It is given by most editions, but not by Peters, who ‘normalise’ the notation here. [16]

Op. 59 no. 2, Prelude

A number of errors in the manuscript were correctly questioned by the editor, and further inconsistencies were corrected by Zhilyayev.

The rhythm at the beginning of bar 40, though, (marked avec defi – Scriabin omitted the acute accent on the second letter of défi ) written as three even quavers, was retained in the first edition and subsequent ones despite having been questioned by the editor. Muzgiz, following Zhilyayev, queries whether it should be made consistent with the dotted rhythm of other similar bars. The Peters edition by Günter Philipp adopts this suggestion. [17] The present writer is of the opinion that the three even quavers help to express Scriabin’s suggested ‘defiance’.

Intriguingly, a slip of paper was pasted over the original manuscript at bars 26–28. This is at the position, characteristic of Scriabin’s short pieces, where the opening material begins to be repeated in transposition. The repeated chords on the paper slip, which anticipate the coda from bar 54 to 57, may have been a late compositional addition by Scriabin. (Other paper slips are observable, pasted into the manuscript of the Sonata no. 6.)

Op. 61, Poème-Nocturne

(The manuscript of this work was also not available to the editors of Muzyka-Jurgenson, who were, however, able to consult a rough draft, as in the case of op. 59.)

Space will not permit a detailed analysis of longer works such as this, but some interesting features present themselves. The first page of the manuscript is written in two inks, blue and black. On the first system, the clefs and the r.h. phrase from the downbeat of bar one are written in blue, whereas the upbeat is written in black. A list of incipits for projected works by Scriabin exists in the Glinka Museum archives, and has been examined by the present writer. This list corresponds to a description by Sabaneyev of a collection of thematic material ‘for sonatas’. In the list, the Poème-Nocturne theme lacks its upbeat. Perhaps the addition of the upbeat was a late inspiration, like Beethoven’s last-minute addition of a two-note upbeat to the slow movement of the Hammerklavier sonata. At the recapitulation, b. 109, the theme starts on the downbeat.

In bar 3 and the corresponding passage, bar 110, Scriabin writes the molto più vivo directly over the l. h. figure on the second beat. This is placed too late in Muzgiz, but correctly in Muzyka-Jurgenson.

Scriabin’s usual practice is to write his performance directions or remarki in lower-case letters, but in the Poème-Nocturne and some other works this practice is departed from in certain places. The new ideas at bar 29 and 33 are marked in the manuscript Avec langueur and Comme en un rêve – suggesting, perhaps, that the arrival of these new ideas should be ‘shown’ by the player in some way, possibly by a very slight elongation of the rests before them, as with the start of a new sentence or paragraph in a text which is read aloud. The same thing happens at Avec une soudaine langueur ( sic ) in bar 52, and Avec une passion naissante and De plus en plus passionné in bars 77 and 79. The first edition reproduces this peculiarity, but not Muzgiz or Muzyka-Jurgenson. It has not been possible to determine whether they are following Zhilyayev, as seems likely. [18]

The addition in printed editions, including the first, of a poco acceler. [ sic in RMI] over the barline of bb. 46-47 is clear evidence of intervention by the composer at proof stage.

The long slur at comme un murmure confus (bar 103 to 110) is correctly reproduced in the editions known to this writer, but seeing it drawn so clearly and with such certainty in the manuscript is a reminder not to yield to the temptation to ‘explain’ the structure of this mysterious passage, and especially not to render the arrival of the recapitulation in bar 109 with any excessive degree of clarity. The piece reflects Scriabin’s exploration of states of consciousness on the borders of sleep, as he explained to Sabaneyev. On the other hand, the remarka at the point of arrival of the recapitulation ( Avec une grace [sic] capricieuse [19] ) does have the capital letter we have come to expect in this work when important thematic ideas are presented.

Op. 62: Sonata no. 6

This work is so successfully suggestive of dark areas of the spirit that a listener once suggested to the present writer, after a performance of the Sixth Sonata, that the music was evidence of psychosis in the composer’s own mind. The listener was, of course, making an error like that of Don Quixote at the puppet show – mistaking dramatic presentation for reality. The lucidity of the manuscript, as well as the highly organised and disciplined musical structure, show that Scriabin knew very well what he was doing.

Towards the end of the work there is a notorious high d written, which exceeds the range of the keyboard (bar 365). This note has also been quoted to me by music-lovers as evidence of Scriabin’s supposed delusional condition. Firstly, it should be pointed out that the d is dictated by analogy with bar 330. We can make a comparison with Ravel in this case. In the climax of Ravel’s Jeux d’eau there is a bottom note which, harmony dictates, should be G sharp, but as the note does not exist on most keyboards, Ravel wrote A. [20] Similarly, Ravel ‘faked’ octaves at the bottom of the piano in the recapitulation of Scarbo by writing sevenths. Scriabin, ever an idealist, preferred to write the pitch required by the music and to leave the solution to the interpreter. [21] Furthermore, the whole phrase from bar 365 to 367 is written an octave lower in the manuscript than in the first edition, thus bringing the d within the keyboard range. [22] An explanation for the late change between manuscript and first edition, which transposes the phrase up an octave, may be that Scriabin never performed this very difficult work – the premiere was entrusted to Elena Beckman-Shcherbina. Perhaps, in working on the piece with her and hearing the passage played up to tempo, Scriabin suggested that she try the phrase an octave higher, as the analogy with bar 330 demands, and realised that the chord flashes by with the substitution of c for d as the top note practically unheard. In her memoirs, Bekman-Shcherbina describes Scriabin’s detailed work with her on his compositions, but, alas, gives no details of the work which must have taken place on the Sixth Sonata.

The composer’s notation of the acciaccatura which starts the Sixth Sonata has already been mentioned (see above, Poème op 59 no. 1.) As in the case of the acciaccatura which sets off the Sonata in A minor by Mozart (K.310), this opening should not be played too glibly, but with a certain weight. Indeed, for a player whose hand cannot stretch the initial chords, it is a help to know that this arresting opening should not be hurried over. More importantly, an execution on the slow side helps to emphasise the sombre, unyielding severity of the opening sonority. It is perhaps unfortunate that publishers’ ‘house styles’ lead to a routine ‘correction’ of Scriabin’s notation of the acciaccatura.

‘House style’ has also led to the omission in some editions of the Sixth Sonata of a number of ‘structural’ double bars provided in the manuscript by Scriabin. Scriabin wrote double bars before b. 92 (coda of exposition), 124 (beginning of development), 206 (recapitulation), 268 (end of recapitulation of second subject. As this last-mentioned place involves a change of time signature, the double bar is technically required, and is reproduced in printed editions, but there is a definite break in the atmosphere here.) The calligraphic beauty and clarity of b. 244–267, a notoriously complex passage, repays study.

Op. 64: Sonata no. 7

The manuscript of Sonata no. 7 is commented upon in detail by Valentina Rubtsova in her notes to the facsimile published by Henle, and these notes are published online. [23] They repay careful study, and Rubtsova gives an account of the other manuscript versions of the Sonata, one of which the present writer has examined in the Glinka Museum. The existence of this text, with its many alterations and differences from the finished version, calls into question the accusation, made by Sabaneyev and since repeated, that Scriabin established a ‘scheme’ of empty numbered bars and proceeded to ‘fill’ it with music. While numbers were clearly important to the composer in establishing a ‘crystalline’ form, the procedure of composition was far more complex than that, as the painstaking work shown in these manuscripts reveals.

Ill.5 is a reproduction of the first page of Scriabin’s earlier draft, with the remarka ‘Prophétique’ for the opening ‘fanfare’ motive. This marking, later rejected, gives a sense of the gesture of this musical idea, which is essential to the close connection of the Sonata with Scriabin’s idea of the ‘Mystery’, something he discussed with Sabaneyev. While visiting an exhibition in London’s Tate Gallery of paintings by the English artist George Frederic Watts (1817–1904), the present writer was struck by the convulsive, ‘prophetic’ gesture depicted in Watts’ ‘Jonah’ (1894), a painting which is reproduced online. [24] The performance of these opening bars needs to be as striking and dramatic as Watts’ painting.

ill. 5) 1st page from manuscript of Sonata 7

Op. 63, 2 Poèmes

In the second of these short works, some l. h. notes in the chords in b. 6 and 7 have been erased; these notes are relocated to the upper stave, where they belong musically, and marked m.g. (The m.d. in bar 7 is a characteristic slip, rightly questioned by the editor). The top note of these chords is shown in the manuscript as f natural and was so published in the RMI edition. Zhilyayev, who had discussed this passage with the composer, corrected this to f sharp. [25] The first notation shows how essential the gesture of hand-crossing was to Scriabin’s conception of the sonority here. Some pianists make the simultaneity of sounding of notes into a priority, but a letter by Scriabin to Belaieff which has been dated to December 1894 shows that spreading of chords was essential to his conception at times (such spreading was, in any case, far more prevalent at that period than now). In this letter, Scriabin writes that the ‘wide chords’ in bb. 9-10 of the Impromptu op. 10 no. 2 ‘must be played by the left hand alone, for the character of their sonority in performance depends on this.’ [26]

The Scriabin facsimiles which have been made available in Russia and America are invaluable sources of information and inspiration, and studying them brings us just a little nearer to the composer. It is hoped that the notes above will encourage players and music lovers to investigate them, and also that more facsimiles may follow in the future.

Simon Nicholls, 2016.

[1] http://juilliardmanuscriptcollection.org/composers/scriabin-aleksandr/

[2] This edition was the basis of those of the sonatas, preludes and etudes reprinted by Dover, though some of the editions chosen for reprinting contained errors not present in the complete edition. Dover did not reproduce the essential information that nuances and rubatos given in brackets in these editions, notably in the op. 8 etudes, were from instructions given by Skryabin to Mariya Nemenova-Lunts while she was studying with the composer.

[3] This edition was republished in limited numbers by the Scriabin Society of the U.S.A.

[4] http://expositions.nlr.ru/ex_manus/skriabin/index.php

[5] The letter is dated ‘19 th April’ by Scriabin and dated to 1896 on the website. The edition by Kashperov of Scriabin’s letters (A. Scriabin, Pis’ma , Muzyka, Moscow, 1965/2003, attributes it to 1897 (p. 168–169, letter 144.)

[6] This letter is given by Kashperov ( op.cit. ) on p. 492–3, letter no. 545.

[7] Scriabin: Sonata no. 5, op. 53. Urtext and facsimile. Muzyka, Moscow, 2008.

[8] Boris Pasternak, An Essay in Autobiography , trans. Manya Harari, Collins and Harvill, London, 1959, p. 44.

[9] I am grateful to the distinguished scholar of Russian literature Avril Pyman for pointing this out (private communication). The French text was added by hand by the composer to the proofs of the first edition (information from the notes by Christoph Flamm to Skrjabin: Sämtliche Klaviersonaten II, Bärenreiter, 2009, p. 43), but perhaps we should trust Scriabin’s Russian, his native tongue, rather than his French in this case.

[10] Ibid. , p. 44.

[11] Muzgiz, vol. 3, commentary, p. 295. Christoph Flamm, loc. cit. The printed version supplied in the Muzyka edition of the facsimile adds the ties in dotted lines, following Muzgiz. It is certainly tempting to make the ‘correction’: most pianists play the tied version, which persists in many editions. But such bringing into line of parallel passages should not be done automatically.

[12] Valentina Rubtsova, notes to facsimile of Scriabin Sonata no. 5, p.57.

[13] Cf. n. 1, above.

[14] Alexander Skrjabin: Klaviersonate Nr. 7 op. 64. Faksimile nach dem Autograph. G. Henle Verlag, Munich, 2015. The foreword is also available online: http://www.henle.de/media/foreword/3228.pdf

[15] Cf. Paul Badura-Skoda, Interpreting Mozart on the Keyboard , trans. Leo Black, Barrie & Rockliff, London, 1962, p. 290 for a brief discussion of one example of this problem. Brahms wrote against any attempt to improve on Chopin’s orthography at the time of the preparation of a new complete edition of the Chopin piano works (letter to Ernst Rudorff, late October or early November 1877, quoted in Franz Zagiba, Chopin und Wien , Bauer, Vienna, 1951, p.130.) All this comment is made about a single accidental because the orthography of Scriabin’s late music is such a wide-reaching, fascinating and important topic, perhaps seen by some students of the music only as an irritating difficulty of reading, and this is one small example of it. For a discussion of Scriabin’s orthography and its significance see George Perle, ‘Scriabin’s Self-Analyses’, Music Analysis, Vol. 3 no. 2 (1984), p. 101–122.

[16] Skrjabin, Klavierwerke III , ed. Günter Philipp, Peters, Leipzig 1967.

[17] Ibid . Philipp notes the variant in an editor’s report, p. 98.

[18] Christoph Flamm discusses Scriabin’s remarki , and comments that the composer accepted with indifference the publishers’ treatment of his upper or lower-case letters ( op. cit. , p. 42). Nonetheless, these small ms. differences can be infinitely valuable suggestions to the performer. Flamm points out that even the size of the letters in which a remarka is written can be of significance for the performer.

[19] Scriabin spoke good French, but accents sometimes go missing in his writing. This circumstance could perhaps be compared with his tendency to miss out accidentals.

[20] The present writer has read a gramophone record review in which this famous bass note was described as a ‘wrong note.’

[21] The Austrian piano firm Bösendorfer added a few bass notes to the range of its largest instruments. Apart from making Ravel’s bass notes possible to ‘correct’, the bass strings add to the resonance of the piano. No such advantage attaches to an addition to the top of the keyboard.

[22] Noted by Darren Leaper.

[23] Cf. n. 15, above.

[24] http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/watts-jonah-n01636

[25] Muzgiz, vol. 3, commentary, p. 296.

[26] Kashperov, op. cit. , p. 87.

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