HOW TO MASTER THE IELTS
178
Academic writing
The following writingtask answers have been written by the author. The method
used is explained at the end of each task. There are no right or wrong answers but
you must cover all parts of the question. Marks are lost for mistakes in grammar,
punctuation and spelling, as well as repetition of words. A higher mark is awarded
for wellconstructed sentences that communicate a clear message using sufficient
vocabulary.
Writing task
1
The pie charts compare home ownership and renting for 1985 and 2005 in percent
age terms.
In 1985, privately owned homes were the most popular type of housing, account
ing for 55%, or more than over half of all homes. The next largest sector was council
rented homes, amounting to 33% or nearly onethird of homes. The remaining homes
were mostly privately rented (10%) with a tiny fraction being social housing (2%).
Twenty years later, in 2005, the number of privately owned homes had risen to
73%, or almost three quarters of all homes. This was an increase of 23% compared
with 1985. Much of the increase in private ownership can be explained by the
decrease
in council rented homes, which had dropped from 33% to 11%. The
percentage of privately rented homes had remained unchanged at 10%. However,
there were 5 million more homes in 2005 compared with 1985 so the number of
rented homes had increased despite the same percentage. Social housing has
increased threefold from 2% in 1985 to 6% in 2005, but it remains the least popular
type of housing.
Method
The first paragraph introduces the pie charts, taking care not to copy what has been
said in the question. The second paragraph deals with the year 1985,
taking the
segments in turn, starting with the largest segment and finishing with the smallest
segment. The third paragraph describes the changes that have taken place by 2005
(increase, decrease, etc) when compared with 1985, taking each segment in turn.
ANSWERS
179
Writing task
2
I do not believe that unemployed people should be given money for doing nothing.
However, I accept that some people are unable to work through disabilities or ill
health, in which case welfare payments are appropriate. Other than these excep
tions, I see no reason why benefit claimants should not be made to work for their
money like everyone else has to.
There are many advantages to working. It can help the longterm unemployed get
back into the routine of work. It is very easy to get out of the
habit of getting up early
in the morning and working from ‘9 to 5’. There are selfesteem and confidence
issues to consider. Working provides people with a sense of purpose and selfworth.
It is easy to become socially isolated if you are out of work, whereas working forces
you to meet new people. You might find something that you like doing or even learn
new skills. It also looks good on your CV if you have been working rather than doing
nothing. I found permanent work after a period of voluntary work in a charity shop.
The disadvantages of being made to work centre on the type of work that is avail
able. If you are a professional person then manual work may be unsuitable for you.
To save money, some employers might use unemployed
people to do work that
should be done by an employee.
I think that making unemployed people do some work for their welfare payments
is a good idea. However, the workers should have some choice in the work that they
do and it needs to be organized properly so that the employers cannot exploit them.
Method
The first paragraph starts with the writer’s own opinion (‘I do not believe’) as a
way of introducing the issues raised in the first part of the question. The second
paragraph deals with the advantages of making unemployed people take a job.
The third paragraph covers the disadvantages of making unemployed taking a job.
The fourth paragraph answers the final part of the question where the author restates
his own view, linking it neatly back to the introduction.
