IELTS Writing Task 2 essay with model answer

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic

The first car appeared on British road in 1988. By the year 2000 there maybe as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

The number  of cars on the roads and highways is  increasing at a rapid pace and is responsible for causing major issues such as road congestion  and environmental pollution. Thus, I strongly agree that other means of travel should be promoted and governments should implement global legislation to control car utilization and ownership.

(start with a clear topic sentence to set the theme of this paragraph. Eg. There are many valid reasons to promote the use of alternative means of travel.) Firstly, cars have contributed significantly to climate change over the years. The emission of greenhouse gases from combustion of fossil fuels to power car engines leads to an increase in carbon monoxide released in the atmosphere. In turn, the rise in carbon monoxide levels consequently results in more heat trapped in the atmosphere  and causes the greenhouse effect.  

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In contrast, there are some other means of commuting that are more environmentally friendly. Biking, walking and taking public transportation are more energy-efficient methods of travel and they also reduce the amount of greenhouse pollutants emitted as opposed to driving cars. For instance, the culture of biking amongst Norwegians is reportedly responsible for the pristine air quality and low fossil fuel usage in Norway. Hence, it is clear that various other transportation methods should be encouraged because they cause less harm to our environment.

Clearly, international regulations should be enacted to manage the number  of cars on the roads and create stricter control over car ownership to minimize the ecological impact of ever increasing cars. Hence, cooperation among nations is needed to instill the habit of prudent  car usage among people. Besides, there is a need to  formulate more rigid purchase rules so that there are fewer  cars on the roads and a subsequent reduction in atmospheric pollutants released by cars. In turn, the environment is better off as people turn to more ecologically viable forms of commuting and travel.

To sum up, I wish to reiterate that cars cause major environmental damage and other means of travel should be promoted to reduce the impact of car pollution. Therefore, car utilization and ownership need to be more tightly regulated through implementation of stricter global legislation.

Total Words: 322

Task Achievement: 8

Coherence & Cohesion: 7

Lexical resources: 7

Grammar: 8

Overall Score: Band 7.5

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