IELTS Task 1 - Describing a process

The illustrations show how chocolate is produced. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

The process demonstrates how chocolate is made from the initial stage of plucking ripe red pods off the cocoa trees located in South America, Africa and Indonesia to the final stage of producing liquid chocolate.

Initially white cocoa beans are extracted from the harvested pods when they are ripe. Following fermentation, they are spread out in the sun and left to dry. Once the dry beans have been placed in sacks they are ready to be transported to a factory by train or lorry.

In the factory, the beans are roasted at high temperatures. They are then crushed in a rotating machine once their outer shell has been removed. Finally, liquid chocolate is produced by pressing the inner part of the bean with the help of large rollers.

To sum up, there are ten main steps involved in the production of chocolate and the transformation of a ripe cocoa pod into an edible form.

Question from Objective Ielts, Students Book p.19

Intensity of adverbs and adjective

Model Answer – IELTS (Task 2)

Some people think it is very important to get a university education. Others feel we should encourage more young people to take up a trade such as plumbing, painting or building to ensure a good balance of skills in our society.

Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

University has become a popular destination for high school leavers. With many opportunities for further education, fewer young people are resorting to traditional trades in the construction and service sector. As a result, the job market has a shortage of skilled labour and favouritism is shown towards graduates with a university degree.

Those who support that a university education is vital, might believe that this type of learning enables a student to have a theoretical perspective in a field of study, broadens horizons and increases the chance of finding an attractive position which is not physically demanding. On the other hand, skilled labour is important for society. All buildings require regular maintenance and although the demand for this type of work is extremely high, the supply of these types of workers is limited. This often means that a country has to import labour from elsewhere to cover its shortage.

In an ideal world there would be a good balance of skills and people would be able to find reliable handymen whenever they needed them. However, I feel that each individual should pursue the path that is closest to their heart whether this leads to university or technical training. Naturally, if someone is inclined towards taking up a trade they should be encouraged to do so.

To conclude, although having equal amounts of workers in each profession would ensure a balance of skills in society, in my opinion, this would be difficult to achieve. Even though programmes exist to encourage young people to be involved in trade related jobs, each individual has their own ambitions and career path they wish to follow.

Question from p.99 New Insights into IELTS - Workbook

Model Answer – IELTS (Task 2)

The number of overweight children in developed countries is increasing. Some people think this is due to problems such as the growing number of fast food outlets. Others believe that parents are to blame for not looking after their children’s health.

To what extent do you agree with these views?

In developed countries much more food is available now than ever before. Apart from home-made food many alternative options are available. There are fast food outlets on every corner and restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets can be found in every street making it easy to purchase processed food on a 24 hour basis. It is no wonder that children are tempted to eat continuously leading to the overweight trend we witness today.

In my opinion, parents are to blame to a great extent for not encouraging their children to follow a healthy lifestyle. Parents should take the time to prepare nutritious home-cooked meals for their children and let them participate in the selection of natural ingredients as well as in the preparation of food. In doing so, children will lean to enjoy cooking and not be tempted to eat commercial, industrialized, harmful food. As we know, children follow trends set by their parents and if they feel meals are a shared, family activity then they will stay at home more.

Of course fast food outlets litter the streets and attract children with their games, quickly prepared meals, advertising and special offers that children cannot resist. These outlets are also attractive because the food is cheap, tasty and in fashion. Due to the nature of the food and the way in which it is cooked it does contribute to obesity and health related issues.

To sum up, although fast food outlets are numerous and appealing for children, I firmly believe that parents should be responsible for taking care of what their children eat. If parents are not concerned about their children’s diet, their children will not worry about it either.

Question from p.105 Action Plan for Ielts

Model Answer – IELTS (Task 2)

Larger proportions of people live and work in other countries today than at any time in the past. It is probable that in the future there will be no borders and people will be able to move freely between countries.

To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

There is no doubt that improved transportation links and ease of movement between countries has meant that more people are choosing to immigrate or work abroad. Workers often opt for a life in another country because the working and living conditions are better there. This shift has been eased by agreements between trading partners and companies who wish to hire specialized staff. The internet is another example of how borders have been erased and where people can perform any type of activity in cyber space.

I do not believe that borders will be erased in the future, even though at present they are blurred. Each country has its own rules and regulations governing the movement of people. Borders have been erected to establish the outline of a country and its people. Governments need to control the flow of moment between countries as this affects the labour market, demand and supply and the economic growth of a country.

On the contrary, I believe the government will make it more difficult for people to cross borders. Many countries have imposed quotas on the number of foreign workers allowed into the country. They also stamp their passport with future departure dates depending on when their contracts are due to end. A sudden massive movement of people will drain a country’s resources and some areas cannot financially support a large amount of people.

To sum up, although restrictions have been lifted for living and working in other countries today, and this trend offers many advantages to countries with labour shortages as well as to workers, for practical reasons and population control I believe that borders will continue to exist in the future.

Question from p. 135 Intermediate Objective IELTS Student’s book

Model Answer – IELTS (Task 2)

With the increase in use of the Internet, books will soon become unnecessary.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

To a large extent the internet has affected our reading patterns. Many people subscribe to on-line newspapers and magazines and it is now possible to download books to a portable e-book device. The future of books does seem gloomy considering that the sale of electronic books has increased rapidly in recent years and people prefer to spend their time on-line rather than reading a book.

Readers are able to access a wide variety of free resources on the internet. Research papers can be downloaded in the form of a pdf file in seconds and keywords can help locate passages without having to read through a whole book. As well as providing information, the internet offers an endless amount of entertainment in the form of games, movies, music and social networking. That is why many prefer this media to books which are time consuming.

Despite the advantages that reading electronically offers, I do not think the paper format of books will disappear completely. Traditional books have been around for thousands of years and have sentimental value for some readers who are not willing to make the switch to another format. Reading a book is often regarded as a passive activity and is not to everybody’s taste.

Even though the internet now fulfils the role of books and offers additional features like in-built dictionaries, free book samples and flexible search options, in my view there will also be a demand for books and bookshops. How would commuters pass the time waiting for their transport means if they could not walk into a store and browse the latest paperback?

Question from p. 108 Intermediate Objective IELTS Student’s book

Model Answer – IELTS (Task 2)

People today spend far more time watching sport than actually doing any themselves. What are the factors influencing this change?

Watching sports nowadays is straightforward. There are stadiums, courts, ice rinks, fields, swimming pools etc. located within easy reach and at an affordable price. For those unable to attend matches and competitions, access to events is available from a variety of media (television, internet, radio etc) which reports live or has feature programmes.

Watching sport has become a popular leisure activity and a weekend outing. It also provides an excuse for people to go to sports bars with their friends to see events being broadcast live. Similarly, people believe that watching sport is fun and can produce an adrenaline rush without actually participating in the event. So I would say that availability, affordability and social trends have contributed towards the popularity of being a spectator. Marketing and advertising also play a role. A large amount of time and effort goes into promoting sports with channels reporting events on a 24 hour basis. Advertising companies see this as an opportunity to sell their products with the help of sporting heroes.

On the other hand, there has been a decline in participating in sports. This might be due to our busy lifestyle. Our hectic schedule prevents us from taking part in sports which require training, practice and participation in frequent sporting challenges. As we become older and our responsibilities increase, our priorities change and we move away from being fit and well exercised.

All in all, although it is healthy to be involved in some type of sporting activity, many people adopt a inactive lifestyle and can be seen enjoying sports from afar.

Question from p. 82 Intermediate Objective IELTS Student’s book