The world is experiencing a dramatic increase in population, This is causing problems not

only for poor, undeveloped countries, but also for industrialized and developing nations.
Describe some of the problems that overpopulation causes, and suggest at least one
possible solution.
You should write at least 250 words.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Nowadays, the population increase dramatically in most countries around the world. This is true for
developed and developing nations. Overpopulation cause different number of problems. However,
government can solved these problems by many solution.

There are several problems that raising number of people in undeveloped countries causes. Firstly, it
is very difficult to provide enough food for all people. Secondly, the government limit the number of
children per family to educate in the school. In addition, in poorest countries usually have a lot of
unemployment as well, and when the population increase the number of unemployment increase.
Finally, when too many people live on the land, the environment suffers.

There are different problems that overpopulation causes in rich nations. Firstly, it is very difficult for
governments to provide helpful public services in overcrowded cities. Moreover, there is generally a
great deal more crime such as using drugs, killing people, steeling, and ect. Which that often because
of high rates of unemployment.

However, overpopulation problems in both nations have two main solution which it deal by
governments. Firstly, government must educate people to limit size of the family. For example, in
China they have a policy call “one cild policy” which it is limit size of the family to have one or two
children but that it is beginning to have an effect in the world’s most crowded nation.

To sum up, if the population impulsive increase continues, many more people will die of hunger in
poor countries. Also, in rich nations, the life in the cities will become more and more difficult.

This essay covers the task and has a good content. However there are several areas to
improve. Grammar needs more attention (see comments underlined in blue). First
paragraph, last sentence � repetition of solve and solution, better say “can find many
solutions to those problems”. Third paragraph, last sentence � poor structure, looks
unfinished. Overall, looks like a Band 6 � 6.5 essay.

Most high level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many
developed countries is more than 50 percent female. Companies should be required to
allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women.

The inequality between men and women is always a significant issue in their society. Besides that, it is
undeniable that most vital positions in companies are taken by male not female. Therefore, there exist
a statement that companies should allocate to women a certain number of these positions. However, I
do not totally agree with this requirement.

In some feudal countries, it was true to say that the society favour the male, and at that time the
inequality occurred extremely. Up to the present moment, it stills to happen in some developing
countries; also it is greatly involved to women’s right. A huge number of women in these countries are
not allowed to go to work or even go to public place. In this case, this is not an individual issue, but it
is a social problem. The governments should have some solution to react with this tendency, and at
the same time they should promulgate a new legislation to protect women’s right.
On the other hand, the global economy is developed rapidly nowadays. In most corporations, they do
not distinguish men or women; they only focus on working efficient. In this world, any employees who
own enough abilities and work in an effective way, that person will be promoted to a high position.
Therefore, allocating for women the high level positions in companies is not necessary. Moreover, the
evidence of women takes place in an essential position cannot count by fingers. Those women are
very successful in their work and their lives.

In conclusion, although the inequality between men and women is improved, it still is a social issue
worth to concern. Personally, in my opinion we should create many opportunities for women to have
an equal life as we can.

This essay needs some work. It has a good structure, the paragraphs are coherent, the
usage of linking words is sufficient and the task is covered. On the other hand, the
grammar needs much attention, the structure of the sentences should be worked on and
there were some unclear expressions used. See comments underlined in blue for more
details. Overall, looks like a Band 6 essay

Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program. To what

extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

In many countries the discussion about the rising financial problems of young people has got more
into focus. Tough some people are voting to integrate financial education as a schooling subject.

The key problem for many young ones is that they don’t know how to use and spend money in the
right way. The “get what you want mentality” is advertised all over in the public media and it looks
like some people think that living with interest fees is normal. Though financial problems in young life
are very common with the result that it is difficult to learn how to spend money appropriated. The
main idea of teaching a financial subject must be to explain about a balanced budget and that interest
fees could ruins one future.

But this is just one side that has to be considered. For me, the main question is why dose parents
cannot give the right advice to their kids? To give such a personal subject in the hands of government
and school is a lack of the key tasks that parents have: to be a good role model.

Moreover it should be considerate that the social effects of talking about money and finance in a social
diverted school class can be harmful for some students. In my opinion it is more important to teach
parents about their responsibilities as a role model and educate private topic in a safe and private
environment.

All in all I think the main task of public institutions should be to educate about common subjects and
not to give such personal advice like the use of money.

This essay is not bad. It has the right structure – 5 paragraphs and covers the task. The
paragraphs can be improved – make them similar in size, 2nd paragraph is too long
compared to the 3rd . The grammar and spelling need some attention and the linking words
could be used more elegantly, the details are in the comments underlined in blue. Overall,
looks like a Band 6.5 essay.

Some people say education is the only critical factor to development of a country. To what
extend do you agree or disagree with this statement?
One the one hand good education is a highly recommended skill in the developed countries, on the
other hand the highest wish of many people in regions of poverty. But what makes education to the
key factor for the development of a country?

We must acknowledge that education is something that we all need. The differences are just what we
learn. Mostly the educational horizon of poor and less educated people has more to deal with their
personal situation than with problems of bigger effects on a country. Attending school is sometimes
too expensive and it does not feed a family.

Nevertheless there must be a reason for education. For me it looks like some countries have realized
that Education is the key for the globalization process. If we take India for example we can see that a
change in the educational system had changed the economy of the country. The country has changed
from a poor region to a high potential aria for IT knowledge.

In regard to this fact it is a must that the Governments of less developed countries take the power of
education serious and offer it to a wide range of people. Spending money for education is the key
tippy title=”for”]to[/tippy] a new future effects on the economy and the social life. All in all I agree
with the importance of education for the development of a country. Less knowledge leads to poverty
and not to knowledge that has wide effects. Learning and Knowledge is Power and an investment in
the near future and therefore it has to be an official task.

This essay covers the task. It has a good structure, however the conclusion paragraphs is
too big � consider splitting it into 2 paragraphs. As to structure of sentences, there are
several sentences that should be rephrased (see comments for suggestions). Grammar also
needs some attention (see underlined in blue comments for details). Overall, looks like a
band 6.5 essay.

Some people think that it is important to use leisure time for activities that improve the
mind, such as reading and doing crossword puzzles. Others feel that it is important to rest
the mind during leisure time. Discuss.

As we are a human we naturally need to take rest on leisure time to recover thestress of work and
everyday life. In fact, every individual need to do what they want and belong to them. Personally, I
prefer to be active during this time because it is feel right to me better. Moreover, people are free for
what they do on their leisure time, and nobody can say what it is the best.

Some people want to relax after their working day. These people prefer to relax by watching movies,
reading or doing some massage. People who have a physically jobs such as doctor, teacher and
builder may choose these type of activities. If you are doctor, you may feel that you want to take rest
for your body after work and you don’t want to do a five kilometer run after work, because you are
already physically tired.

On the other hand, some people choose to be active on their leisure time because they do very sitting
jobs. For example, these people many spend all day sitting on a chair and do their work. At the end of
a working day, they may be have a backache, and all of their body become tired so they need to
stretch their arms and improve their health by doing some activity such as going to the gym or
swimming.

To sum up, the important things that people want to stay healthy by choosing what is best for them.
In my view, the wrong way to stay at home in your leisure time if you have a setting job.
This essay needs work. It has the right structure and covers the task. However there are
many poorly structured sentences, many of the sentences are too simple and don’t have
enough complexity, there are grammatical errors and incorrect usage of prepositions (see
comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a Band 6 � 6.5 essay

Even though Globalization affects the world�s economics in a very positive way, its
negative sides should not be forgotten, discuss.

Everything has tow sides in the world, and so has the prosses of globalization too. The effects of
globalization for the world economy are diverted.

We must acknowledge that the negative effects are from a different kind than the positive
ones.Therfor the negative sides, like low paiment in less developed countries are important to
conciderate.

If we take the Euro zone for example, the economic-changes according to the gloablisation process
are huge. Many companies have transfered their factories into cheaper production earies to compeat
at the world markes. The results are rising unemployment rates in the “old industrial countries”

In regard to the other countries on the world market, like China, this job transfer is a big oportunity.
But no one can denie that the consequences for the less developed countries with flurished economy,
based on availability of cheap employees are highly important: globalization based on this facts brings
enviromantal problems.

Nevertheless there are also posive reasons for globlaistaional effects. In general it is remarkable that
there is a new tendency in “Thinking Global”. For instance people are willing to leran more languages
and about othe cultures. Countries fromaly knowen as undeveloped, like India, getting chances to be
the main leader in a certain field.

All in all it can be said that the effects of globalization are huge. The unerstanding of economic
processes have changed completely. It is important to think in bigger terms, not just about the owen
country. The positive things that this globalization process have brought must sensible us for the
negative sides. The all over aim should be a world in balance, but this will be a long way.

This essay needs work. There are multiple spelling errors and unclear expressions (see
comments underlined in blue). Also there are many words that are formed incorrectly
(diverted instead of diverse, etc). There are too many paragraphs, all you need is 4 – 5
well-structured paragraphs, not 7 poorly structured ones. On the bright side, the task is
covered and there are enough words (275), which is good. The paragraphs are logically
connected and there is good usage of linking words. Overall, looks like a Band 6 essay.

Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you agree or
disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Evaluation of the importance of timing is so important, many people they are sticking to past to show
their present’s importance, while many shows that no need to even remember their past because it
would not help them at all. It is very controversial and complicated matter.

Do not look to past, many people believe on this statement, for many reasons: Firstly, all of us had
committed many mistakes which we would not like to remember, it will affect their present because
can create some problems with our families as example. Secondly, instead of remembering those past
trials, get the benefit of your present time.
Although of what said in previous opinion, many people sticking to their past to give them well push in
their present. It can give you a way of learning from your mistakes, and good chance to try to avoid
any thing can lead to past failure.

Moreover, Success will not come without failure, every body should try his aim, even if failed, and it is
a big success if they try it again and again. In addition, past is our culture and heritage which we will
not forget it at all, it is a matter of value to our present, future till will die.

To sum up, in my opinion, we can not live without past, it is our value of life. Beside it can create your
experiences in to solve your problems better in the future.

This essay is too short � it should be at least 250 words and writing less means loosing
marks. The structure of sentences needs work and so does grammar. Do not address the
“audience”, write in general (See the comments for the last sentence of third paragraph).
Overall, looks like a Band 6 work. See comments underlined in blue for more details.

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People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new
experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge).

Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to
support your answer.

Many people attend to university or collage after their high school years for several reason which they
choose by them self. I believe the most reason that why people attend to university or collage to have
new experiences on life , to prepare for career, and to increase their knowledge of their personality on
life.

Firstly, many people tippy title=”attend to university or collage”]again, repetition[/tippy] to have new
experience on life. Many students leave their home and move to live by them self when they go to
university. This is the first time that they had to create resolution by them self without their parents
help. Creating resolution will increase their knowledge of themselves. Moreover, students on the
university can meet different students from different nationalities and religions so students can learn
about different culture around the world.

Secondly, many people go to university or collage to prepare for career. Career training is becoming
more important nowadays to young people than old people. At collage, students learn many skills
about the real career life and they intern to internship with a lot of chances. All of these things prepare
them for the career life.

Also, students attend to university or collage to increase their self-knowledge of their personality on
life. They attend for that to increase their knowledge in subject which they find interesting. For
example, many students study science because they are iinterest in science but they work on the
business area.

To sum up, I think people should not only focus on a career when they go to university or collage.
They have to follow to have new experience and knowledge about their personality and the huge world
around them which they live in.
This essay needs much work. There are many grammatical errors, incorrectly used
prepositions and inaccurate expressions (see comments underlined in blue). There are
many repetitions of the same expressions � try to avoid that as much as possible. The task
is covered, the paragraphs are connected by linking words � but the usage is rather
primitive. Overall, looks like a Band 6 essay

Dieting can change a person’s life for the better or ruins one’s health completely. What’s
your opinion?

Almost 90% of the women today wants a beautiful figure. That is why we are able to find a diet
programme almost everywhere in the country. Most of the women have tought and gone on a diet
before either to slim dowm or just for health problem.

A proper diet programme will help you not only to slim down but also to have a healtier eating habit.
For instance taking more vegetables and fruits that meat, avoid fried food and carbonated drinks. For
a diet programme we shouldn’t cut one self from food and water. There are some diet programme
from the doctors that help you to have a healty heart like the “Three day diet” which we can find on
the internet. This programme allows you to eat fruits and also some meat. This way of dieting you will
be able to avoid some of the health problems in the future like diebetes or a heart attack.

However some people do not only go on a diet but they avoid eating and go hungry for the whole day.
All they have is just either water or juices. Also there a people who buy special diet programme over
the counter like taking pills which are not approved by the health department and without consulting a
doctor first. They do not follow the basic rules of dieting and this will lead them to some serious health
problems like disfuctional of some body parts or, even worse, death.

In my opinion there is notting wrong going on a diet as long as we follow the correct way of eating
and for a good reason to diet.

This essay needs some work. It covers the task and has a good structure. The paragraphs
are logically connected and many of sentences are structured correctly. However there are
some sentences with poor structure and many grammatical errors (See comments
underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a band 6.5 essay.

The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to raise age limit for the younger
drivers and to lower age limit for the aged ones. Do you agree?

Traffic accidents are on the raise these days. Most of the accidents caused injuries or either worse
death. Research have found that most of the accidents are cause by inexperienced drivers, for
example young drivers.

Young drivers tend to be more daring and are unable to avoid a crush when face with an on coming
one. They tend to be more daring after some drinks of alcohol at night and cause them to lose control
of the car. Drink driving will not only cause your own life but may also cause an innivent life to be lost.

The government should encourage the driving school to conduct driving lessons to yung drivers for a
longer period. This will give them a clear picture about how accidents happen and the safety of others
on the road. Drivers that have meet with an accident after drink driving should be ban from driving for
at least two years and be given driving lessons again.

However, for the aged drivers, the government should not only lowered the age but also check the
capability of the aged drivers for instance eyesight, hearing and other related health conditions to
save driving. It does not mean that an aged person are not fit to drive and have a problem with the
heart but a young or middle aged man could also have a change of heart failure these days.___
To conclude, I feel that to raise the agelimit of young drivers arenot the best solution but to give them
more driving lessons about the problem they will encounter on the road and to ban them from driving
if they have cause an accident due to carelessness. As for the age drivers, as long as they are capable
on the road before a certain age and no health issues there shouldn’t be a problem.

This essay is too long; you have written 305 words instead of the advised 250-265. In the
first paragraph you should have presented the topic of argument an the two opinions. The
main issue here is multiple spelling and grammatical errors, see comments underlined in
blue for more details. The task is covered, the paragraphs are coherent and logically
connected by linking words. Overall, looks like a Band 6.5 essay

Millions of people every year move to English- speaking countries such as Australia, Britain
or America, in order to study at school, college or university. Why do so many people want
to study in English? Why is English such an important international language?

Nowadays, language becomes a major factor to become a successful person. Many people prefer to
study abroad to English-speaking countries because English is an international language. There is no
doubt that the best way to increase the English language skill is use English language daily so if
people study in English speaking countries, their English skill will be improved automatically and it will
give them some advantages such as they can work in many countries or they are able travelling to
many different places without studying other languages. This essay will describe more details why
English is an important international language.__

Firstly, English is widely used by a lot of countries and at the present, the world traders are currently
developing rapidly. In order to compete with people from different countries, it is very essential to be
able to communicate with English language. For example, China has been improving a lot in many
sectors. They are able to compete with other countries because many people in China aware the
important English language and they are trying hard to study English.

Secondly, many companies prefer to employ people who can speak English because if the companies
create new branch in different countries, the employers are able to move the new branch without
employ new people again and the branch company is still able to communicate with the central
company. In fact, One of the largest companies in the world (Google) has created some branch in
different countries and each of the Google employers are able to discuss or communicate even tough
they are in different countries because they use English to communicate.

In conclusion, many people move to English speaking countries for further studies because they
believe that it will improve their English skill and to become a successful person in the future,
mastering English is very essential.

This essay is too long (313 words instead of 250-265). It isn’t a problem on its own, but
wasting time to write more content that you don’t get extra marks for is not wise. Also, the
more content you write, the more room for mistakes you create. There are a lot of poorly
structured sentences and grammatical errors (see comments underlined in blue). Overall,
looks like a Band 6 – 6.5 essay.

You can get up-to-date news from radio, TV and Internet. Which one you think is the best to
know about news.

Nowadays, there are several channels to get news, such as radio, TV, newspaper and internet. I think
internet is the best among these. In my essay, I am going to explain why.

Since its invention, the Internet has been keeping booming as a prospective industry. Not only
because it is a combination of texts, audios and videos, but also due to its convinience. It has
threatened the domination of spreading news of the traditional media, and, I would say, is about to
take control.

We can find everything we want on internet – latest news, books, songs, movies, cartoons… whatever.
With radio, we can merely hear. Compared with newspaper, radio and TV can provide the lastest
information. For instance, it was immediately availalbe of the breaking news of the Americans’
attacking on Iraq, as well as that the Twin Towers of New York were destroyed on September 11,
2001. __ However, we just cannot carry TV 24/7.

Internet is a convinient way of getting information, as long as your mobile phone is connected or you
possess a laptop. When I am on a vehicle, I usually have my cellphone connected to internet, then
browse what happend in the past few hours, or log in MSN to begin a conversation with my friends.
Reading newspaper is also a good way to kill time, but for me, a youngster, it is not so modern as
“surfing online while being transported”.

The traditional media will never disappear, though internet has taken a big advantage in the
competition. And definitely, there is still a long way for internet to go. Anyway, internet benefits me
the most, and I highly appreciate it.

This essay needs some work. It covers the task and it’s structure is fine. However the
structure of the sentences needs attention (see suggestions in comments underlined in
blue). Some words like”whatever” should be avoided. Your usage of prepositions is not
accurate and there are grammatical and spelling errors as well. Overall, looks like a Band
6.5 essay.

In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard
this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important
for learning and taking responsibility. What is your opinion on this?

In the Third World, children are usually sent to factories for labor work. Many people believe that is
merely exploitation, while others think it is good opportunities for them to have life experience. In any
case, children have their right to live and study in peaceful conditions. Therefore, using them as labor
force is considered an unacceptable action.

First of all, children are not workers. They have just known about the vast world and do not have any
experiences as well as conceptions about working. Since these innocent children are naive and lack of
life experiences, they are easily cheated and exploited. There are a lot of examples about this in poor
nations. Because using children is cheap and easily to control, many enterprises hire them with a little
money paid. Although the government in these countries has tried their best, this kind of taking
advantage of children cannot be eliminated.

Moreover, children do not need such things called �valuable work experience� or �important for
learning and taking responsibility�. The brief responsibility of children is learning. They are not old
enough to understand what working experiences are. Nevertheless, they can help parents do chores
or housework. This will be much better way for them to become more responsible for family. In
addition, childhood is one of the most remarkable memories and must not be taken by forcing them to
work.

In conclusion, since all children are the great concern of parent and society, they should be allowed to
enjoy life and educated rather than encouraging them to work. Hence, one must ponder what view is
actually appropriate for the sake of children.

This is a good essay. It covers the task, the paragraphs are coherent, the sentences are
well-structured and the vocabulary is adequate. However a little structural change in the
paragraphs is required � first make the point (such as “Some say that children should
learn about earning money” and then oppose to it “However, children can not be compared
to adult workers”). Also, there were some inaccuracies (see comments underlined in blue).
Overall, looks like a Band 6.5 essay.

In many countries children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this
as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for
learning and taking responsibility. What is your opinion on this?

Nowadays, many children involved in different types of jobs to have some kind of financial assurance
for themselves. However, whether this is good for their development and personality is a much
debatable issue. I personally believe that paid works is harmful for children for several reasons.

It is said that children learn valuable experience in the work place. This may be true. However, I
would argue that children are mainly employed for jobs that require manual work and are low paid.
The recent statistic reveals the common tasks that children are assigned are washing dishes, cleaning
floors or serving food in restaurants. Meanwhile, this kind of jobs actually do not provide children with
necessary and useful skills so that they can apply in their future carrer.

This brings me to the second point. Defenders of child work argues that it is an effective method of
learning. The point is children should be able to apply knowledge taught to them in a real life working
environment. Although this is undoubtedly true, it also means that children may neglect the classroom
study and even fail the class. The worst thing is yet to come. They may become so occupied with the
benefits ahead of them like small salary and leave school.

Finally, supporters said that it helps them to build responsibility in the family. They will understand
how it is difficult to earn money and therefore have a compassionate view with their parents. This is
true to a certain extent, but may have a totally adverse effect on children. As children can make
money at an early age, they would feel that it is appropriate to spend on luxury things by their own
money, which could be recovered later.

In conclusion, I think that parents should take measures to restrict their child to work, otherwise it
would have a negative consequences on their futures.

This is a great essay, Band 7+ candidate. My only suggestion is to divide your arguments so
that you have 2 paragraphs covering arguments ?against? and one covering arguments ?
for? or vise versa. Don?t mix ?for? and ?against? in one paragraph.

Popular events like the football world cup and other international sporting occasions are
essential in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

The World Cup football match and the Olympics are held worldwide with great national support and
expectations. As a fan of those competitions, I agree with the idea that sporting events can be
necessary for international relations and national unity. In this essay, I will think about the effects of
these popular sporting events.

First of all, the World Cup, Olympics and other international games work for easing tensions among
different nations. For example, South and North Korea have football games regularly which give two
nations a chance to understand each other deeply. In the mid 1990s, a hundreds of North Korean
supporters came to South Korea with the footballers and they were very excited during the sporting
events. Even if it sounds ridiculous, many South Koreans were quite surprised at that moment when
North Koreans shouted and cried during the match. We all realized that they were very normal sports
fans even though they were occasionally very secretive. Through the sports, two divided nations could
reduce their political and ideological tensions and could feel the patriotic unity.

On the other hand, some sports matches can make international relations worse. For instance, football
or baseball games between Korea and Japan are always big matches in two countries where full of
tensions overflow. Sometimes, after the matches, the two rivals blame each other and their patriotic
emotions explode in an aggressive way. Even much worse scenario is that the troubles caused by
losing games affect the players directly. As far as I know, a couple of Korean players in Japan are
suffered from invisible discrimination after the match between two countries.

In conclusion, I think that international sporting occasions can be one of the good ways to ease
tensions or to release patriotism safely. However, I believe that games can not be the fundamental
ways for the sound patriotism or peaceful international relations.

This is an excellent essay! Very well done!

Some people say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together.
To what extent do you agree that the internet is making it easier for people to communicate
with one another?

In today?s world _ due to the advancement of technology new inventions are coming into existence. It
is a certainty that ?necessity is a mother of invention?. _ Internet is just like a wonder box, which
contains every type of information. Besides it has also proved as a very important tool to connect
people with each other.

In today?s modernized era nobody has sufficient time to write letters to their loved ones. Moreover it
also takes longer to send or receive any information. But through an internet it is an easiest way to
send massages to our loved ones. Either it can be in the form of an e- mail or by text messages from
internet to cell phones. We can send and receive messages straight way.

In other hand today?s youth generation mostly prefer to do chatting on () internet. Through this
chatting we can write messages and straight way can get their reply. Moreover voice chatting is going
to be very popular day-by-day.

As it is a reality that advantages and disadvantages are like both sides of a coin, which usually runs
parallel. So like other things internet also have some downsides, like people are facing some health
problems for example, poor eye-sight, back ache, migrane. Today?s teenagers usually prefer to spend
their time on internet rather than to participating in other physical activities, so that?s why they are
going to be weaker in their physical health.

To conclude, I would like to say that internet is one of the most modernized and most successful tools,
not only for communication, even to get most relevant information regarding every field in a very
short period of time.

This is a great essay, well done! Remember ?the Internet? is a proper noun, currently,
there is only one. Pay attention to your punctuation – many commas are missing after
linking words. Otherwise, the essay is well argued and set out

With all the troubles in the world today, money spent on space exploration is a complete
waste. The money could be better spent on other things.
Nations after nations, everyday, every year, celebrate their achievements in space exploration .
However, it is now time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it
is questionable.

First, until all urgent and important matters in this globe have been solved, money bumped on space
exploration is of no meaning. It is not a common sense at all to invest million dollars researching and
producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while everyday thousands of people
are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the
majority are even not well-educated. Those in rural areas or third-world nations do no even know how
to prevent common threatening diseases like AIDS and lung cancer.

Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration are to discover new lands, new energy
resources or to deter potential threat to globe. Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other
alternatives are available? Lands on earth are no yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g.
solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been
deterred. All these ?not- yets? need money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste
of money.

In the nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration providing that () early-mentioned
urgent and important matters have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaign should
be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before money is wasted.

This is a very good essay, well done.

Some businesses prohibit smoking in any of their offices. Some governments have banned
smoking in all public places. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.

Most of the firms, organization and companies as well as governments make restrictions to smoke in
work places and public amenities respectively. It has become fashionable in the world today to blame
smoking. However, although I feel that smoking can be harmful, but I don’t think it should be
forbidden completely. I would also argue that people should have the right whether they smoke or
not.

Let me deal with the three positive sides of smoking. Firstly, smoking certainly helps many people to
relax. For some, it even improves concentration. If someone is upset owing to debt or they have
exam, like to smoke to reduce the pressure or tension. Most of the people like to smoke when they
are relaxing with friends. Secondly, governments throughout the world make huge profits from taxes
on cigarettes. The income obtained from taxes provide funds which are used for building school,
hospital and public places such as parks, gardens, sports ground and foot paths. Thirdly, tobacco
industry also employs tens of thousands of people all over the world, particularly in poorer countries
like Zimbabwe or India. Without cigarettes, these people would have no jobs.

Despite these positive effects there are lots of negative effects of smoking too. Initially, smoking has
been proven to be too dangerous for health. As one cigarette contains more than 4000 chemical
substances, therefore, it causes for many dangerous diseases such as heart attacks, asthma,
bronchitis or lung cancer. According to a recent report, in Britain about 3,500 people are killed each
year in road accidents and 120,000 are killed by smoking. Furthermore, smoking costs governments
millions of dollars because of the large number of people who need treatment in hospitals for
smoking-related problems. Moreover, passive smoking is a major concern today. Recent research
shows that non-smokers can suffer from health problems if they spend long periods of time among
people who do smoke. In UK children whose parents are smoke are three times as likely to start
smoking themselves _.
In short, I think the world would be a better place without cigarettes. However, the decision as to
whether _ smoke or not should be for each individual to make. I suggest that people should not
smoke in a room or a place where there are non smokers, however they should be free to smoke
elsewhere.

This a very good essay, you have made your arguments well and set the paragraphs out as
required. However, take care with your use of definitive statements e.g. Without cigarettes,
these people would have no jobs. Maybe they would gain employment in another industry,
we cannot be sure. Over all, well done!

Internet when used as a source of information, has more drawbacks than advantages. To
what extent do you agree with this statement?

Some people believe that internet access creates problems. There are several possible reasons why it
can happen.

First, some data may be unverifiable. For example, everytime they search for a data, there would be
lots of choices that would appear on the screen. They would not be sure if the data they are reading
has accurate information. Some sources have even outdated informations. Second, some sites may be
unreliable. For instance, people sign up on one site that sells goods using online purchases. The goods
would be paid for by credit card but the purchaser would not receive anything. And finally, not
everything is available through the net. When my friend had tried to research for some pictures of
18th century paintings, he did not find any results. Then he was told by his teacher that it would only
be available in the library.

Others believe that internet is very useful and these are the justifications. First, it is hard to get data,
that is available in the net by other means. For example, if directory information could not give me the
accurate address and contact number of the place I want to visit, I normally check that information
from the Internet. In just one click, I would get all the details of that certain company. Second,
research becomes more comprehensive. For instance, I do not have to buy lots of reading materials to
complete my research. Most of the needed information can be found if I have Internet access. And
finally, data is easily compared and contrasted. I remember, my cousin researched the study about
overweight children a decade ago and at present. He was able to finish his research in just one day, as
compared to week if he would not use the Internet.

In conclusion, let me reiterate that the Internet plays a big role in our life, because it makes data
retrieval and comparison easier.

It?s a good essay, the arguments are clear, the language and the grammar are also good.
Structure needs to be improved little bit – make paragraphs smaller, re-divide so there
would be 5 paragraphs instead of 4. In case it is argument essay ? give your opinion in the
conclusion only. In case of opinion essay ? give your opinion in the introduction

We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in business,

hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in
future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of
their benefits?

In the last two decades cybernetics have experienced a major breakthrough .This led to the utilization
of computers at nearly all parts of our daily life, from personal computers to complicated surgery
performing. Surely the uptake of this technology facilitates a lot of difficult tasks but is this excessive
dependance ripping the warmth of our lives? In this essay, I will outline how the availability of
computers affects our lives.
Most of the daily tasks an individual experiences are time and effort consuming. These two
fundemental qualities could be tremendously saved by the use of computers. The average period
required to prepare a decent meal for a middle-class family is around an hour to and hour and a half
when using traditional methods. This time could be literally reduced to half if computerized decivesare
used instead. Moreover, a busy businessman is enabled to easily close a profitable deal just with a
touch on this highly programmed laptop while enjoying his family vacation and not having to exert an
extra effort of traveling long distances just to sign a deal.

On the other hand, new generations are growing remarkably dependent on these modern utilities,
which make them handicapped when it comes to preparing a cup of tea. Inaddition, psychologists
suggest that one of the main reasons for sucidal rate increase is recent electric inventions. This is due
to that humans by nature stay emotionally healthy through socializing, but due to the importance of
modern technology to maintain a financially satisfying standard of life they gradually isulate
themselves. As time passes by each of these individuals gets stuck in a vicious circle of loneliness that
eventually leads to suicidal attempts specially among youngsters.

In conclusion, similar to every other invention computers has its benefits and drawbacks, I personally
think it all depends upon how we use the given tools . Moderation is the key here to keep the balance
and allow us to live in harmony.

Good essay, nice vocabulary, a little too long (340 words instead of 250), a few
grammatical mistakes. The topic is not fully covered (what about the “things will they be
used for in future” part?).

Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by
providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the governments
of poorer nations to look after their citizens themselves?

I think wealthy nations should be required to share their wealth among poorer nations. But their
helping should only stop at providing such things as food and education because of three following
reasons.

Firstly, citizens of both wealthy nations and poorer nations are human beings. Therefore, we can not
look at, hear of, and talk about people who lack food, education, etc… without compassion and
sympathy. Sharing wealth among poorer nations is not only a good deed but also a task itself.

Secondly, many nations in Africa and Asia are very very poor. Famine, diseases, crime and illiteracy
are killing their citizens. In the contrary, a lot of nations in Europe and America are too rich. If there
are no actions taken, this inequality will increase dramatically. Poor countries will become more and
more poorer while rich countries will become more and more richer. As a result, poorest countries will
be slaves of richest countries. So, sharing wealth is an useful way to prevent people from that bad
future.

Thirdly, although sharing wealth among poorer nations is very necessary but this helping should only
stop at providing such things as food, medicine and education. Or else, poor nations may depend on
aid. They won’t have enthusiasm to build their countries by themselves. Moreover, rich nations can
take advantage of sharing wealth to interfere deeply in poor nations’ governments. This can’t be
considered humane action and should be prevented.

In my opinion, sharing wealth among poorer nations has both bad side and good side. What we have
to do is avoiding its bad side and practicing its good side.

This is an excellent essay, your arguments are convincing and very well presented. There
are only a few minor mistakes, read and consider the comments. Very well done!
Should the same laws which prohibit the sale and consumption of heroin be applied to
tobacco?

Recently, a hostile debate arouse when a few well reputable health organizations suggested the
application of a similar act of heroin selling and usage prohibition _. In this assay, I will analyse why
the adoption of such a law could be a breakthrough in our youngsters safety, according to my vision.

Firstly , tobacco does not differ much from heroin when it comes to the later addictive effect. Nicotin ,
the active ingredient in tobacco, exerts its effect by acting directly on smoker’s brain cells. Numerous
experiments carried out by scientist on animals, specailly rats, proved that this toxic chemical does
lead by time to dependency, just similar to the effect experienced with herion.

Secondly, restriction on cigerattes selling will surely show an instant decline in tobacco smoking. ”
Having an easy access to cigarettes puts a tremendous pressure, specially on teenagers,to resist such
a temptation” Dr.Hisham , head of Pschycology department at Alexandria Medical college , states
firmly. “Giving the new generation the sense that the severity of smoking is equivilant to other lethal
drugs usage woulod be a life saving step,they will thank us for() as they get older.” he continues.

To recapitulate, applying of a futuristic law as the suggested one will definetly have a positive
impact ,not only on young people’s health but on our society as a whole.

Well done! This is a very good essay but take care of your spelling.

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Nowadays environmental problems are too big to be managed by individual persons or

individual countries. In other words, it is an international problem. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?

An essential problem of the 21st century is world pollution. Currently the environment is so much
contaminated that urgent measures should be taken. The single individual cannot be blamed for the
world pollution, however every person should take care of his or her habitat. In addition, it is vital that
environmental issues should be treated internationally.

Lately, many presentations, conferences and international summits are held regarding waste
treatment, recycling, soil and water contamination. For sure joint efforts and consolidation can only
help in the mutual war towards the environmental disaster, which is going on. For instance,
governments should offer support to companies and organizations, involved in manufacturing,
industry or agriculture in order to find environment friendly approaches. These could be special law
regulations, recycling programs, helping courses in order to implement ISO certificates and many
more.

However, the influence of individuals over environment should not be ignored. If we do not confess
that our planet is our home, we will never be able to take adequately care of it. We have to contribute
every day to the preservation of nature and environment. For example, always remember to save
energy by switching off lamps, computers and everything that we do not use. Our next obligation is to
separate waste and throw bulk only in the designated areas. Driving vehicles can also be environment
friendly. For example, we have to avoid accelerating the engines too rapidly or using the air condition
in the country, where it will be better to save energy and simply open the windows.
To sum up, environmental problems should be handled by local and international authorities also.
Every single person should take care of environment and moreover we have to bring up our children
to be conscious citizens of a clean and preserved planet.

This is a very good essay, Band 7+ candidate. The structure of essay and sentences is
correct as well as the spelling and punctuation. Good job!

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IELTS Essay, topic: News on TV

News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspaper. What factor do
you think influence their decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good
news was reported?

News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. There are two
factors that influence their decisions. The first is the kind of customers they tend on. Because each
kind of readers and watchers has its own features. For example, if your customers are almost
teenagers, you have to concentrate on something attracting them such as stories, photographs about
singer stars, film stars, funny tales, and young fashion. It will be very silly if you try to provide
teenagers with economic, politic news. On the contrary, besiness men and politicians may never read
news about James Blunt or Keira Knightley. Therefore, what influence news editors’ decisions the most
is the taste of their customers.

The second is the hot, the attraction of news. Who will reads or watchs your news if it was one year,
one month ago even last week? The answer is nobody absolutely. In the energetic and competitive
world nowadays, people always ask for really new news. So that to satisfy customers, there is a
pressure on all editors to find continually what has already happened not only yesterday but even an
hour ago. Or else, they will lose their customers. None of editors wants that bad future.

On television or in newspaper, we seem to become used to bad news. It is a little of difficult for us to
meet a piece of good news. We can’t deny that bad things occur on the earth day by day. However,
news editors try to gain more and more customer, which means more and more money, by bad news.
Because bad news makes us curious. We want to know why it is bad, what it is about, whether it
influences us or not. As a result, we will buy newspapers or watch television to find out. And the
happiest people are, of course, news editors.

I think it would be better if more good news was reported. Bad news makes us worry and sad.
Whereas good news makes us happy. How much bad news is, there should be the same amount of
good news. So, we can give something bad a lot of thought while still be joyful with good news. Any
inequalities between good news and bad news should be avoided. That is the best solution.

Now, we can’t live without news. Thereby, the role of news editors is very important. We should
support them. And what they have to do is try their best to provide us useful news, both good and
bad.

Some of your sentences are too short – they would look better joined together. Overall, a
very good essay ? to me it looks like Band 7 candidate.

Some people think that students who don’t take a break in studies between a high school
and a university are at disadvantage compared to students that travel and work after high
school before furthering their education. Do you agree or disagree?
Nowadays, in our competitive world, to succeed, knowledge from school and university is not enough.
Therefore, the student who study from the school to university get benefit less and contribute less too,
than those of student who go to travel or job and get experience and skills before going high. There
are two following reasons to prove for my opinion. I call the group of people who study from school to
university is group A and the other group is group B.

Firstly, at school and university, what group A gain is almost theory, theory and theory. Of course,
theory is very neccessary, however, you can’t do everything with theory. You must have praticeable
experience. This is what group A lack very much. Although in the third of forth year at university,
group A can be apprentices in some companies, to help them approach their future jobs, they aren’t
trained well because of short time. And the real job is still very strange with them. After graduating,
without experience, group A can’t accomplish their work perfectly. On the other hand, it take them
time and money to keep up with other experienced ones and may be scorned. Therefore, group A can
contribute less than group B who have the most two important things: skills and experience.

Secondly, as group A is contribute less, they surely get less benefit. Moreover, many companies which
employ people in group A have to train them from the back-ground. These companies take this cost
from group A’s salary to get rid of the fact that their employees may leave after being trained to other
companies. So, less benefit is unavoidable and certain, Whereas group B are more loyal and effective
workers. They also have useful experience and skills. Besides, their education is the same as or even
higher than group A. As the result, group B get more benefit absolutely.

In conclusion, I think student should go to travel or job before going high. Therefore, they can’t only
have basic knowledge but also skills and experience which are useful for them to get a good job and a
brilliant future.

This essay is too long (350 words instead of 250). To fight this problem, try to write more
in general and provide fewer details. The language and ideas are good and so is the essay?s
structure. Looks like Band 7 to me.

Letters

You have bought a new mobile phone and in a few days of purchase it has stopped working.
You spoken to the company representative a week ago but it has still not been repaired.

Write a letter to the company. In your letter

- introduce yourself
- explain the situation
- say what action you would like to company to take.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am writing to inform you about the faulty mobile phone that I have purchased in your store.

I am Christine B., I am a regular customer of your company. On the 10th of March, I bought a brand
new Nokia N73 mobile. However, upon one week of using it, problems started to appear. The flash of
the camera is no longer working. Also, the monitor is getting blurred which makes it difficult for me to
see the SMS messages clearly. I was very surprised to discover such problems in quite an expensive
model.
Naturally, I returned the mobile phone in your store to be replaced with a new one. One of your sales
staff told me that they will send it to me at my home address within one week. However, two weeks
have gone without receiving any replacement. I am very upset for your poor service.

In this regard, I insist on getting a refund of my full payment if the replacement will not come within
another week.

Yours faithfully,

Christine B.

This is a very good letter. The structure of paragraphs and sentences, grammar, vocabulary,
length � everything is in order. There are some minor corrections (see comments
underlined in blue). Otherwise, looks like a Band 7 letter.

You would like to participate in a work-related seminar in another country.

Task: Write a letter to the person in charge of the seminar and ask for detailed information
regarding the dates, program, accommodations and cost.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to ask for information about the seminar that you are conducting during the next week.

I am an electronics wholesale dealer in Pakistan and I am interested to take part in this work-related
seminar. I think that it would be very beneficial for me to see the latest electronics appliances and
have an excellent opportunity to make contacts with different companies. Therefore, I need to get
some information in details such as; the total period of your seminar and the complete leaflets of
different scheduled programs. Beside this, I have a plan to come with my two staff members so what
would be the arrangements of accommodation and total expenditures, which you have estimated for
each person.

You could send the above-mentioned information to my e-mail address. I would like to receive it as
soon as possible because of adequate preparation before the departure.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Athar Nafees

This is a good letter. It covers the task, the information is organized well and each
paragraph covers all the necessary details. There are some inaccuracies (see suggested
changes in the comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a Band 7 letter.

IELTS Letter, topic: Cleaning job application

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Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m writing this letter in response to the vacancy for housekeeper as advertised in the “Daily News” on
6th of November 2007.

I have worked for the “Care-givers” home for 5 years and thereafter was transferred to the main
branch in Durban. This branch caters for two hundred people. I was appointed the supervisor, with
five staff reporting to me. I have gained much experience in planning, organizing and leading in this
job. I have worked with all types of people and know how to handle their problems.

The reason why I would like to apply for this job because your private home would benefit from my
experience. I would be able to give much more attention to the needs of the home due to the size. My
credentials speaks for itself which is attached for your perusal. I await for an interview to further
discuss my experience with you.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,
M Munsamy

This is a good letter. It has the correct structure and covers the task. The sentences are
mostly well structured, although some show use of inappropriate expressions. The
vocabulary is fine.There are few grammatical errors, see comments. Overall, looks like
Band 6.5 – 7.

You stayed at your friends? house when you participated in a business seminar in Australia.
You left a file with important documents in your room.
Task: Write a letter to your friend, describing the file and ask him/her to return it to you by
post.

My dearest Philip,

I am sorry I am writing only now. Firstly, I would like to thank you for all the attention and support
you gave me while I was in Sydney. Things like that are priceless and all I can give you is my
gratitude. I expect you and Ingrid to come to Rio soon, so that I try to somehow propiciate equaly
joyful moments as those you propiciated to me. I am writing also, because of the fact that I forgot a
very important document in the room I used in your house.

This document is a signed contract and was the most important reason of my trip to Australia, after
the business seminar I attended. You certaintly can wonder how desperate I have been in the last
days looking for this document midst my luggage. I could not find it anywhere and am sure I left it in
your house.

Please let me know if you find it, and post it for express delivery as soon as possible. I will pay for the
expense; just let me know what is your bank, account and branch numbers.

With best whishes,

Leonardo

You successfully passed a job interview. You are expected to start on November 15, but you
will not be available on that date. Task: Write a letter to your new boss, explaining your
situation, expressing your concern and suggesting solution.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am Leonardo Gomes and I have recently passed a job interview for the Software Engineer position at
the Software Infrastructure group. I was expected to start on November 15, as agreed, and am
writing because unfortunately I will not be able to present myself on that date.

During the interview I estimated fifteen days as the amount of time needed for me to finish my
activities at my current job and start at your company, but due to fact that I got sick for the last
whole week and was not able to work, I could not finish my tasks and will need another week to do so.
If necessary, I can give you a copy of a letter from my doctor informing that I had to stay at home
and under medical care during that week.

I really apologize for the inconvenience and expect it not to affect our relationship. Should I present
any other form of proof or talk to someone else at the company, please let me know.

Faithfully yours,
Leonardo

Model essays.

These essays and paragraphs use topic sentences and other features of Western
academic writing. They are useful models for international students who are
planning to take the IELTS test (International English Language Testing System),
or study in a university in the USA, the UK, Australia or New Zealand. There are
task 1 and task 2 style examples.

To do some exercises on these texts click here.

Argumentative paragraph about cars.

Private cars are becoming a very controversial issue these days but they are important in
our modern lives for two main reasons, poor public transport and business. Many people in
the world live in towns, villages and even cities that do not have good buses or trains.
Without cars these people could not travel to work, to the shops or do many other
important things. Also, in many towns and cities buses stop before midnight but in today's
busy world people are busy twenty four hours a day. The next point is that cars help the
economy in two ways. Firstly, the car industry gives many people in the world jobs and
helps countries to develop. Secondly, many people today need cars in their work. Doctors
need to visit patients, salespeople need to visit customers and computer technicians need to
visit businesses. In conclusion, although cars can cause problems it is impossible to live
without them in modern life.
The chart shows the fluctuations in the numbers of international students attending the
Sydney International Language Centre in 2001.
At the start of the year numbers were quite high at 170, this was because there were a
large number of students in University Preparation (UP) before the March intake. The
student population remained the same until the end of February when 40 graduated from
ELI and took up their offers in Bachelors and Masters courses. In both April and May, 15
extra students enrolled into ELI courses. There was a sharp increase in June when 20 new
students entered UP courses. In July there was only an increase of five students as the
Winter course intake was at the end of July and this was too late for students who were
entering university in the second semester. In comparison to the first semester, there was a
sharp drop in numbers as 50 students left, leaving only 135 students in ELI for August.
From here until the end of the year there was a steady rise in student numbers to a peak of
180 in December.
Overall it shows steady growth when compared to the 2000 enrolments.

Argumentative essay about food

A recent theme in the popular media has been the decline in the quality and nutritional
value of the food that we buy. Newspapers in particular warn us of the problems associated
with convenience and take away food, whilst commenting on the spread of advertising
aimed at children. The government and manufacturers are frequently cited as the sole
cause of these problems. Although there are undoubtedly problems associated with current
eating habits it can be seen that the blame rests mainly with the consumer because of the
law of supply and demand. In short, modern shoppers value price and convenience over
nutritional quality.

The most basic law of the market shows us that if a consumer does not need or desire a
particular product, they will not buy it. When the sales of particular products are examined
it is possible to see that sales of convenience foods are always increasing, whilst sales of
basic ingredients are generally decreasing. People buy ready prepared food because it fits
into the busy lives that they have chosen to live, where an extra foreign holiday or a new
car has become more important than the health and welfare of families. This desire for the
trappings of modern life also has other effects on shopping habits. Many families would
prefer to have an up to date computer than to buy nutritional, healthy organic food. To have
both is only possible for the affluent due to the high cost of organic food in developed
nations.

To sum up it can be seen that convenience food has a double economic advantage. It is
cheaper to buy in the first instance, and also allows parents to spend more time earning
money at work. In the past people ate low quality food because they were poor, but now
they do it so they can afford a certain lifestyle and that is not the fault of the
manufacturers.

An essay comparing and contrasting University education in the USA and Australia

The Western style of education has gained popularity over the last decade. Many foreign
students come to countries like Australia and the USA to study at university and improve
their employment prospects. In this essay I will briefly compare and contrast these two
countries in terms of their appeal to foreign students.
There are many similarities between the two countries. Firstly they both have a very
multicultural population so it is possible to enjoy food from your own country when
homesickness arises. Also, as they are both large countries it is possible to find an
institution in an area with a climate that suits you. Another similarity is that their tertiary
institutions have a reputation of quality and excellence in academia.
On the other hand there are some appreciable differences. The main one is that education
in the USA is much more expensive than in Australia. However, many students think that it
is worth paying the extra money as some American universities have a world-wide
reputation. Furthermore, as the USA has a much larger population there are a wider range
of institutions to choose from and naturally, a wider range of courses.
To sum up, America offers more choice and a more acknowledged reputation, but at a
higher cost. Australia offers similar quality but is cheaper if you can find the course that you
want.

Argumentative essay on computer games

Computer games have been popular for decades now and many households have at least
one. However it can be seen that playing these games causes social, educational and
personal problems of several kinds both to youngsters and society.
Firstly, youngsters who spend a great deal of time in front of a monitor are not studying,
playing sport, socialising or learning about life. The skills which they need in order to
interact with others and succeed in the real world are not being nurtured. Moreover, studies
have shown that this generation of young males is actually growing less than previous
generations due to lack of exercise. Following from this, they are more likely to be
overweight and less healthy, so more prone to diseases such as diabetes.
In addition, the games themselves are often quite violent and dangerously sexist. For
example, there are games which show graphic fighting scenes where the most brutal is
most applauded. Women are shown as either sexy, but weak, or as improbable amazons.
Violence against women is often part of these games which encourages misogynistic
behaviour. The language tends to be violent and sexist which further adds to the problems
of the lack of interaction and social skills.
It is easy to imagine the effects of such games on young minds. If we wish children to grow
up to become well-adjusted members of society, these games should be more tightly
controlled.

A Cause and Effect Essay on Australian Private Schools

European history in Australia is very short and as a result it can be interesting to look into
the development of its educational system in relation to similar societies. When compared to
the USA and Britain, the most striking aspect of Australian education is the incredibly high
proportion of private schools and the number of students attending them. Figures from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (August 1996) show that 29.3 percent of the school
population attends privately run institutions compared to approximately 10 percent in the
UK and USA.
As this strange situation has evolved over the past 150 years it is relatively easy to trace
the most important causes. Australia was primarily settled by the English, Scottish, Irish
and Welsh who all followed different churches of Christianity. They argued as to which was
to be taught in schools which led to the adoption of government schools with no religious
affiliations. This action led to the removal of funding to church schools which in turn meant
that Catholic schools had to find alternative funding and also work harder to attract
students. Parents had to pay for their choice of school and this set a precedent. Now more
and more immigrants of diverse cultures and religions come to Australia and decide to set
up schools which will protect their children's identities. As Australian society has diversified
it has become advantageous for politicians to improve their popularity with powerful groups
by supporting these schools financially, improving their quality and appeal to prospective
students.
Unfortunately this seems to have created a vicious circle as public schools are now receiving
less from the government, so have trouble providing an adequate service. This then makes
the private, fee-paying schools more popular with parents, which allows politicians to justify
giving more financial support to them. The future of good quality public education therefore
seems in doubt.

Home Model Letters

These letters are useful for students who want to learn how to write particular
types of letter in English. There is an application for a job, a letter to a
newspaper and several complaint letters.

To do some exercises on these texts click here.

Complaint letter from business to business.

Dear Mr Thompsen,

I recently received a letter from a Mr Robinson, a valued customer of ours. He

purchased an Italian coffee table and four French dining-room chairs from us which your
company delivered to his residence.

He has written to complain that the purchases arrived damaged. We pride ourselves in
the quality of our products and would like an explanation as to how this mishap
occurred. Even though the items are insured, our reputation is at stake.

I would be most grateful if you would reply as soon as possible so that this matter can
be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Sincerely

Jackie Middleton

Customer Services Manager

Complaint letter from a business customer to a telephone company