IELTS Academic Writing tasks with Model answers

Latest IELTS Academic Writing test (Very important)

Writing task 1 (a report)

The charts below show the percentage of male and female students of different age groups who studied in full-time and part-time in a particular country in 2006.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

* Note: these aren't the original charts given in the test, they were recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Model Answer

The bar chart illustrates the percentage of male and female students studying full-time and part-time across different age groups in a particular country in the year 2006.

Overall, it is clear that younger students were more likely to study full-time, while older students preferred part-time education. Additionally, males consistently had a slightly higher participation in full-time study, whereas females were more likely to engage in part-time education across most age groups.

Looking at full-time education, the proportion of male students was highest in the 'Under 20' age group, at approximately 90%, compared to around 85% for females. This trend remained dominant in the '20-24' and '25-29' age brackets, although the percentages gradually declined with age. By the age group of '45 and above', the number of full-time students dropped significantly to just 5% for males and around 10% for females.

In contrast, part-time education was more popular among older students. For males, the percentage of part-time students steadily increased from 10% in the youngest age group to about 95% in the oldest. A similar pattern was observed for females, rising from 15% in the 'Under 20' group to 90% among those aged 45 and over.

In summary, the chart demonstrates that full-time education was preferred by younger students, particularly males, whereas part-time study became increasingly popular as students got older, especially among females.

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Writing task 2 (an essay)

Young people who commit serious crimes should receive the same punishment as adult offenders. Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Model answer

There is an ongoing debate about whether young people who commit serious crimes should receive the same punishment as adult offenders. Some argue that the severity of the crime should determine the punishment, regardless of age, while others believe that young people deserve special consideration. In my opinion, young offenders should not receive the same punishment as adults because their level of maturity, understanding, and potential for rehabilitation are fundamentally different.

To begin with, young people often lack the emotional and psychological maturity to fully understand the consequences of their actions. Scientific research shows that the human brain, particularly the areas responsible for decision-making and impulse control, continues to develop well into a person's twenties. Therefore, harsh punishments may fail to account for the fact that young offenders are still in the process of psychological growth. For example, many juvenile crimes are committed under peer pressure or due to a lack of proper guidance, which suggests the need for corrective rather than purely punitive measures.

Moreover, young offenders have a higher chance of rehabilitation. A justice system that focuses on education, counselling, and community service can help extirpate criminal tendencies and guide them toward becoming responsible citizens. Harsh punishments, on the other hand, may expose young people to hardened criminals in adult prisons, increasing the likelihood that they will reoffend. In this sense, rehabilitation acts as a catalyst for long-term social improvement.

On the other hand, it is understandable that some people believe equal punishment is necessary to deliver justice to victims and to deter other young individuals from committing serious crimes. However, punishment should not only serve as revenge but should also aim to prevent future crimes. Giving young people a second chance through appropriate juvenile justice systems can actually triumph over crime rates in the long term.

In conclusion, I believe young people should not face the same punishment as adults. Instead, their age, psychological development, and potential for change must be carefully considered. A system that focuses on rehabilitation rather than harsh punishment is the embodiment of a more balanced and humane approach to justice.