I have discussed how to answer IELTS essay questions and the different essay question types in other blogs:
In this lesson we’ll look at how to answer IELTS questions very specifically so that you get the Band 7 criteria for Task Response.
IELTS Task 2 questions often cover similar topics. But they phrase the prompts very specifically so that candidates cannot simply memorise a response.
So when you see a familiar topic, it’s easy to start the essay without a plan, feeling that you have plenty of ideas about the main topic.
However, as we can see from the examples below, the same topic can demand very different responses. It is important to look at each question carefully and examine and answer every part of it.
Look at the 2 questions below.
What is the common topic?
What is dfferent about the prompts?
Question 1:
Parents are encouraging their children to spend an increasing amount of time on tablets and screens because they think it will improve their technological skills.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
Question 2:
Young people are spending an increasing amount of time on tablets and phones as a form of entertainment.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
The common topic is about children/young people using tablets and screens.
But Question 1 asks specifically whether parents should encourage children to spend time on their screens to develop their technological skills, and Question 2 asks whether children should spend time on their phones for entertainment.
These are 2 very different questions.
Question 1
This question asks you to consider
- the reasons why parents think using a tablet will improve their children’s technological skills
- WHETHER this is a good thing or not (advantages and disadvantages)
You’ll need to refer to
- this ‘development’ (why has this happened?)
- advantages: Should they let their children spend time on tablets? (e.g. yes – it’s an essential skill for the future)
- disadvantages: Is this the best way of learning technological skills? (e.g. distracting effect on attention spans)
- Say if you think that there are more advantages than disadvantages
I asked my students to do this task, and many chose to talk about
- how convenient a mobile phone/tablet is.
- how all teenagers need a phone for emergencies.
- how children can do their homework on screen.
- how screens are bad for children’s eyes
None of these are relevant.
What IS relevant is the belief that screen time will enhance a child’s technological skills.
You MUST discuss this.
Question 1 Model Answer
The availability of tablets a mobile phones means that even very young children can have access to these devices. While there are obvious benefits to this, there are significant dangers as well. In this essay I will argue that, so long as children are educated to use these devices properly, their benefits outweigh their drawbacks.
We must accept that devices such as these are a part of our lives now, and will undoubtedly remain so. Therefore, to deny access to them would be to deprive a young person of the benefits that they provide. The skills required to use a device effectively, such as searching for information, word processing, design skills and communication, are all essential parts of both study and work. A child who has missed out on the opportunities to develop technological skills will be at a disadvantage in the job market and struggle to succeed in education.
Having said this, there are risks involved in allowing young children to use phones and tablets. They may neglect other more traditional skills such as writing by hand and focusing on a source of information for a sufficient time. Digital devices encourage rapid switching from one source of information to another and, as a result, the attention spans of young people appears to have reduced. In addition, phones and tablets are full of potential distractions, which could obviously interfere with the purpose for which they are being used.
In conclusion, I would say that so long as these devices are used properly and children are trained in their use, the benefits they bring far outweigh the drawbacks.
Question 2
Young people are spending an increasing amount of time on tablets and phones as a form of entertainment.
Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
This question asks you to discuss whether the increasing amount of time spent on screen for ENTERTAINMENT is a positive thing or negative thing.
DO
- discuss the types of entertainment on tablets and phones (films, games, YouTube clips, social media).
- talk about the advantages of using phones and tables for entertainment (Quite difficult: Parents always know where they are? Cheap/affordable? Convenient? Greater choice? Educational content?)
- talk about the disadvantages (Are other forms of entertainment – sport, hobbies, socialising, reading – in decline because of the screen? Does this matter? Is it harmful/addictive? What are the consequences? What is the effect on attention span and literacy skills?)
Get more advice on how to structure a Task 2 Essay.
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