Latest IELTS Writing Topics:

The August 2023 IELTS Writing Module proposed a topic in a manner that was significantly divergent from the trending nature of questioning during the year. It required a unipolar point of view to develop the essay.

This is not unheard of in the past, but the student could easily be misled by the number of times the ‘for and against’ pattern of questions had prevailed during the year. This time, the student was simply asked to analyze a situation and express an opinion regarding the solution to the problem created by the situation. The theme was Environmental Degradation Caused by Economic Growth.
This is a topic that is routinely anticipated and the essay could have conformed neatly into the standard framework of building it up along the ‘agree with and disagree with perspective. Working backward from July, almost all writing questions in 2023 followed this format. 

Yet, August 2023 has this jarring anomaly. Let us discuss this more later.

The other topics for 2023 covered

  • Priority of Economic growth,
  • Effect of Modern Day Communication on New Generation’s Writing and Reading Skills
  • Western Clothing erasing Ethnic Identity
  • Visual Imagery can reinforce News stories
  • Crime perpetration by minors – Adult penalties?

Tips for IELTS Writing Test:

Here are 5 tips to achieve a 7+ Band Score:

1) Make your Introduction Short Structure your time to write more for the important body paragraphs.

2) Each body paragraph should have one central topic. Start a new paragraph as
you transition to the next topic.

3) Develop the central idea of each topic. Expound on it, explain what you mean with examples and describe the possible consequences it may lead to. Avoid unnecessary tags like firstly, secondly etc

4) Make your opinion emphatic and clear. Use phrases like ‘In my opinion, I believe, I am convinced, ‘ etc Ensure that your point of view is conveyed throughout the piece and not just as an addendum at the end of a paragraph.

5) Never forget to capsulate your essay with a compelling conclusion. You will lose points dramatically without a well defined conclusion. If you feel pinched for time, shorten your last body paragraph. But write at least a brief summary of all the points you made to restate your viewpoint

IELTS Writing

How can I Improve My Writing in the IELTS?

~ First, analyse the topic and determine the type of essay you need to write. Correctly understanding this will boost your task response score. Remember that your answers are graded according to a set of IELTS criteria. All these criteria are described in the Band Descriptor document which is publicly available. You can carefully study the requirement for each criterion and each band score. You will observe that to secure a Band 7 score you need to address all parts of the task. To get a Band 9 score, you must fully address all parts of the task. Without a sound plan you have no chance to score high for the criterion called Cohesive and Coherent. Our aim here is to present such a plan..
As an example let us consider this anomalous topic of August 2023. We can classify it as a ‘problem and solution’ type of essay in the initial analysis.

Consider the problem:

“The increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to the natural
environment.”
This followed by 2 supplimentaries :
“why does it cause damage” and “what can be done to solve this problem?”
We identify the tasks assigned as
Reasons for the damage and
Solutions to the problem

~ Next, construct incipient ideas and platform it on a structure. Develop the skill of
logically organizing information and ideas. This is your secret to get a Band 7 score.

So, taking the first task we identify the reasons for the damage to the environment. Possible ideas to develop would be:

 Unsustainable natural resource extraction:

Much of our raw material and energy derived from nature are not renewable or do not regenerate fast enough. We are altering the capacity of natural resources to regenerate. For example – the water cycle. We are also producing raw materials and energy with highly polluting methods. For example – burning fossil fuels.

Generation of toxic by-products : 

Harmful chemical substances are utilized to manufacture products. The by-products from the process contaminate the soil, air and water. The case is aggravated when production is out-sourced to developing countries where little or no regard is accorded to minimum legal requirements.

The Price of Products do not reflect the real environmental and social costs : 

The price of products thus produced exclude the cost of pollution effects, underpaid
labour etc. This impinges on the health and quality of life of people.

Products are manufactured with unscrupulous sales growth motives: 

Products are sold with an agenda of planned obsolescence to multiply the volume of trade. The shorter utility value of the product results in more production. It also contributes to the next reason.

Waste levels are surging into astronomical scales: 

Waste is being disposed carelessly into the soil and water and burnt into the air.

We now have a well laid out structure of ideas to develop the presentation of the reasons for the damage. We move on to the next task – the solutions.The solutions to the problem can be explained with an introduction into the flawed principle of manufacturing:
The present economic system of society is linear, that is, based on extraction of raw materials, manufacturing and production, distribution and purchase and finally just discarding. This needs to be turned around into a circular economy where production and consumption involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. Under this system the life cycle of a product is extended.

Next, we list the solutions:

 Natural Resource extraction needs to be regulated by pricing externalities with green fiscal policies such as environmental taxes, royalties, and fees.

 Reduction of Toxic Footprint by embracing green chemicals, increase reputational and litigation liability, etc

 Legislate benchmark quality standards to ensure product longevity

 Legislate the management of solid and hazardous waste from manufacturing and industrial processes and even households.

 

The body paragraphs must have a topic sentence upon which to ‘present a clear central topic within each paragraph’ to score a band 7. This is the stipulation in the Band descriptor document. Another stipulation states that main ideas need to be presented, extended and supported within the paragraph.
This will form the structure of our essay where the body paragraphs are threshed out into a solid, cohesive and coherent essay. All we need next is the crucial conclusion to round it off. You could conclude along these lines:
‘It is insatiable human greed to aggrandise profits that causes the problem and the
solution depends on responsible people with the commitment to legislate, regulate and penalise this greed. This is the only way we can bequeath a greener and sustainable planet to the coming generations.
So, this is a reliable way to score a 7+ band score in the IELTS Writing Module.

This Articel is published by Grace Academy

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