IELTS Essay Questions About People And Society — IELTS Home Preparation

IELTS Essays Questions About People And Society

Jump to: Opinion Essays, Discussion Essays, Discussion and Opinion Essays, or Situation Essays

Opinion Essays

When a traveler enters a new culture they should follow the social norms of that culture as closely as they can.

To what extent do you agree?

In recent times many people prefer to live alone.

What are the reasons for this and does it have positive or negative effect on society?

Smoking has been proven to be seriously harmful to the smoker and also to the surrounding people, it should therefore be banned in public places.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Humans should be able to use animals in any way they choose, such as for food, clothing and research.

To what extent do you agree with this opinion.

International travel broadens the mind and makes a person a better citizen when they finally return home.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Some people think books are becoming a less significant source of information and entertainment.

To what extent do you agree?

Some working parents believe that a childs grandparents provide better care than a professional day care centre could.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Celebrities and sports stars are paid far more than Doctors, Nurses and teachers who some people believe make a much more valuable contribution to society and should therefore be paid as much as the sports stars and celebrities.

Do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that a career choice should be decided based upon the amount of money they can earn whereas others feel job satisfaction should be the primary deciding factor.

Do you think money is an important factor when making a career choice and what other factors should be considered?

It is often said thought that people who make the effort to explore outside their own countries are more tolerant and understanding of other people and cultures.

To what extent do you agree?

It is often said thought that people who make the effort to explore outside their own countries are more tolerant and understanding of other people and cultures.

To what extent do you agree?

Famous people have a duty to be good role models to the rest of society.

Do you agree or disagree?

When a traveller enters a new culture they should follow the social norms of that culture as closely as they can.

To what extent do you agree?

Violence in society increases when more violence is shown on television.

To what extent do you agree?

Some people believe that you need to live or work in another country before you can become fluent in that country’s language.

To what extent do you agree?

Some people are of the opinion that women should not be allowed to join the army.

Do you agree or disagree?

Our personalities are decided at birth as a result of the genes we inherit and there is nothing that can be done to change our personality traits.

To what extent do you agree?

Nowadays, celebrities attain fame through their glamour and wealth rather than through any actual achievements or talent, this provides a negative example to youngsters.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people do not do well in school, but attain lots of success in life.

Why do you think this happens and what is the most important factor for success in life?

Some people believe international sports events aid world peace.

Do you agree or disagree?

Young people these days spend their free time in the shopping centres. This has a negative impact on young people and the community.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe it is better for children to have their childhood in the city while others think that life in rural areas is more suitable.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of both places?

Adventurous travellers of the past and tourism have helped to make English the global language.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to having one language in the world?

An under developed infrastructure prevent poorer countries from developing very quickly. Some people think that foreign aid should focus on this issue before any other.

To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

The majority of countries allow 18 year olds to start learning to drive, whilst others believe that the age should be at least 25.

Discuss both the positives and negatives of making people wait until they are 25.

Discussion Essays

Some people believe it is better to provide help and support directly to people who are in need of help. Others however, prefer to donate money to large organisations that can then use the money to help more people.

Discuss both points of view.

Often parents encourage their children to get a part-time job for evenings and weekends.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to children of doing so?

Discussion and Opinion Essays

Some people believe that individuals should be responsible for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, whereas others feel it is the government’s duty to ensure their citizens follow a healthy lifestyle.

Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

Chemicals are sometimes used in the production of processed foods.

Do the dangers associated with the use of chemicals in food production outweigh the advantages?

All drivers should retake their driving test every ten years.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?

Individual members of a family have their own technological device to from which they can contact other members of their family. Some people believe that this will weaken actually family relationships.

To what extent do you agree?

The mental health of young people today is suffering due to the significant amount of time they spend watch television and surfing the internet.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Violent sports such as rugby, boxing and martial arts should not be shown on TV as they increase violence in society.

To what extent do you agree?

Famous sports people are often idolized by young children and this means that they have a duty to display good behaviour at all times.

Do you agree or disagree?

Some people are of the opinion that dangerous contact sports should be banned while others believe it is up to the individual to decide what they want to do.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Preservatives and chemicals are found in many processed foods and ready-made meals.

Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Some people believe that women are generally less aggressive than men as their character traits are usually more nurturing than aggressive.

To what extent do you agree with this?

Some people think that in order to understand the culture of another country a person must first learn the language.

Do you agree with this opinion?

Some people believe that leaders are simply born with those leadership qualities, whereas others believe that leadership skills can be taught.

Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

Artists often require a certain amount of freedom to improve their creativity. Some people believe that artists should have complete freedom to express any thoughts and ideas they wish.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that intelligence is innate while others believe that we can enhance our intelligence through learning and education.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Some people believe it is fine to use animals for our own benefit and others believe it is not good to exploit them.

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

The positive aspects the world gains by having English as a global language will continue to outweigh the disadvantages.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

The positive aspects the world gains by having English as a global language will continue to outweigh the disadvantages.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Situation Essays

Tourism is eroding and significantly damaging historical sites and buildings around the world.

What could be done to prevent this?

In many cities and towns across the world traffic congestion is a significant problem.

What are the causes of this and what measures can be taken to solve this problem?

Some people who have a good level of education along with experience in their chosen profession still decide to move to another country to seek work.

Why do you think that is and what problems do this cause?

Certain groups of people find it difficult to achieve a healthy work life balance.

What are the reasons for this and how can this problem be overcome?

MrTim
Reply September 22, 2017

Background information and who you want to write to. Then you’ll see three bullet points that help you write the letter. This information is really important.
Step 1 – Take some time to understand the question. Exam pressure can make you not think clearly so take a breather, pause and calmly try to understand the question.
Step 2 – Consider the tone you need to write in. If it says write to a friend, you can use informal language. If it does not say you are writing to a friend then write in a formal way. Do not worry about semi-formal language just do one or the other. In this way you can then become clear very quickly what you need to do, which remember in the pressure of a test, is very important. Keeping it simple is key here.
Step 3 – Plan
In paragraph 1 you need to explain the purpose of your letter. Use the background information from the question to write this.
In paragraph 2 of your letter is then written about the first bullet point you are given.
Paragraph 3 is written about the second bullet point.
Paragraph 4 is written about the third bullet point.
Next to each bullet point you need to write down your ideas for each paragraph. Your ideas do not need to be the most original, funny or entertaining ideas. You are not getting marked on your ideas, only the language you use to express them.
Do not write about anything other than what is in the bullet point! This is not needed, and it is vital you stay on task. This is why you should not memorise sentences to put into your letter as they are very unlikely to fit to the bullet points that you have been given.
Your first paragraph needs to have a really clear purpose. Even though the examiner has the question that does not mean you should not include the purpose of the letter.
Each paragraph ought to be about 50 words long, which is normally 2-4 sentences long. This ensures you go over the 150 word limit and makes you develop your points correctly.
Make sure when you write that you write each sentence with a clear purpose and is easy to understand. Do not deliberately try to insert different conditional sentences. Just write a clear message and use the grammar that you need to use to convey that purpose and not the other way around.
Finally, you must take some time to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. You should also check for the tone of the letter too, you can change formal words to informal, or the other way around quite easily. However, you cannot completely rewrite paragraphs during the checking phase, this is why it is important that you check that each paragraph you write directly covers the bullet point in the question.
Make sure you also check do this when you practice then you will do it in the pressure situation of the exam.
Do not spend more than twenty minutes on this task. Just follow the above plan and then continue on to the next part of the test, the essay task.