Writing Task 2: Creative Artists

This is an example of IELTS writing Task 2, which tries to answer the following question:

Creative artists should always be given the freedom to express their own ideas (in words, pictures, music or film) in whichever way they wish. There should be no government restrictions on what they do. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

There are some who argue that giving freedom in expressing ideas can create harmful effects, while others contend that this is somewhat questionable. It is my contention that the freedom to express ideas should be given due to the fact that creative arts are generally created in situations without pressure. Moreover, the government should not impose limitations because this is against human right to express ideas.
It is undoubtedly accepted that inspiration and imagination will naturally flow if there is lots of space to think and work. In other words, no restriction on what people do will create something new, innovative, and interesting, which people call creative arts. As a result, this will produce more attractive arts in the form of music, film, poetry, pictures, etc, which people can enjoy in their leisure time to relieve their boredom and tension.
In addition, it makes little sense if the government applies restrictions on what artists do. I tend to think that this is against the human right to express ideas. The fact of the matter is that many countries, nowadays, make an effort to show that they are democratic countries. Furthermore, arts can be one way to criticise many social issues as well as government policies. It follows that imposing limitations on such things will reduce the value of democracy.
On the other hand, I can accept that such freedom can create harmful effects. Sometimes, artists lose their control – take pornography, racial songs and provocative caricature, for examples. However, it seems to me that professional and creative artists know what should they do to maintain their image.
To conclude, although the freedom to express ideas can create some negative effects, I certainly believe that there will be many wonderful and attractive arts due to the freedom to express ideas. Therefore, there should be no restrictions on arts.
(306 words)

This work was corrected by my EAP teacher at IALF Bali.

Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS6ME, 2006

Read More

Writing Task 2: Traditional vs International Music

This is an example of IELTS writing task 2, and tries to answer question:

...why music is important and which one is more important, traditional or international music

In many countries, music has become a part of human lives. There are many kinds of music from traditional music to international music. This essay seeks to show the reasons why people need music and that music is a universal art so that traditional music is as important as international music.

There are a number of reasons why people indeed need music. First, music is a part of entertainment. Hearing music can make people more relaxed as well as relieve their tension and boredom. Furthermore music can affect our emotion. In other words, it can influence our feelings. Therefore, it can be one way to retain happy or sad stories.

It is undoubtedly accepted that music is a universal art. This means that traditional music is as important as international music. However, both types of music have positive and negative sides. On one hand, the traditional music of the country can show an identity of that country. The fact of the matter is that traditional music is a part culture and can show the uniqueness of the country – take Balinese traditional music, for example. However, young people sometimes think that traditional music is less interesting due to the influence of modernization. On the other hand, international music is widely known due to the fact that it uses international language that can be understood in many countries. In addition, it offers a simple and attractive type of music. However, this music cannot show the uniqueness or identity of a country.

To conclude, there are many reasons to explain why we need music. Moreover, all types of music have their positive and negative aspects, thus the importance is the same.

(278 words)
This writing was corrected by my EAP teacher at IALF Bali.

Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS6ME, 2006

Read More

Writing Task 2: Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

This is an example of IELTS writing Task 2, which tries to answer the question:

...to what extent do you agree that exploring and finding safe alternatives to fossil fuels should be the most important global priotity ?

There are some who argue that using coal and oil to generate electricity is undoubtedly an effective method. However, others still contend that burning these fuels has many harmful effects on the environment. This essay seeks to show that exploring and developing safe alternatives to fossil fuels should be the first global priority today due to many benefits especially for the future.

Nowadays, fossil fuels have been exploited widely as sources of energy especially in generating electricity. Fortunately, these sources are still available, in which some countries even have abundant supplies. In addition, these sources have already been used for a long time and thus the processes and procedures are well known. Economically, this technique is more effective because it is not necessary to develop new technology. It has also created many industries and involves lots of employees.

Along with these benefits, however, using fossil fuels as a source of energy has caused many negative consequences for the environment. The burning of these fuels has increased greenhouse gases that have contributed to global warming. This means that we need safe alternatives to fossil fuels to save our future. For instance, the exploration of hydropower and solar power as a source of energy has been applied in some countries. This is an eco-friendly method and can provide lots of energy. Another method to consider is nuclear power. Although it was preceded by some accidents, nuclear power is by far safer and cheaper as well as able to provide unlimited energy. It necessarily follows that the exploration and development of safe alternatives to fossil fuels is the most important thing today.

In conclusion, although the supplies of fossil fuels are still enough in many countries, I believe that using safe alternatives to fossil fuels can insure the sustainability of our environment and rescue our next generations.
(304 words)

This work was corrected by my EAP teacher at IALF Bali.
Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS6ME, 2006

Read More

Describing Graphs: Books Bought

Below is an example of IELTS writing task 1, especially on how to describe a chart or graph. Inspite of having no picture, I hope the experssion, structure, vocabulary and connecting words used are still worthwhile.

The graph indicates the average number of books bought per person per year from 1960 to 1990. Over the 30-year period, the trends were upward. The number of paperbacks bought was always above the hardback ones. The paperback books rose erratically from 20 in 1960 to nearly 40 in 1990. The hardback books, on the other hand, showed a steadily increase from 1960 to 1975, followed by a slight fall in 1980, before rising again to nearly 10 in 1990.

The bar chart shows the number of books bought, divided into five types i.e. biography, history, self-help, political and religious. From 1960 to 1990, there was a decidedly upward trend of self-help books bought, from only about 2 in 1960, reaching a peak at 30 in 1980, before standing at roughly 27 in 1990. In contrast, political books, which was quiet high at about 20 in the first ten years, dropped considerably to 8 in 1975 and remained steady until 1990. The religious books bought showed a decline in the first decade from 23 to 13, before climbing sightly to nearly 17 in 1990. Biography and history books, which were quiet popular in the first year, decreased gradually and hovered at less than 5.

Overall, the number of books bought over 30 years was upward, and the self-help books became more popular than biography and history.


(226 words)
This writing was corrected by my EAP teacher at IALF Bali.
Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS6ME, 2006

Read More

Describing Charts: Cigarette Advertising

Below is an example of IELTS writing task 1, especially on how to describe a chart or graph. Inspite of having no picture, I hope the experssion, structure, vocabulary and connecting words used are still worthwhile.

The bar chart indicates the expenditure on cigarette advertising per media in Indonesia from 1995 to 2005. In general, there was a decline in expenditure. National newspaper and national TV were the two highest media in advertising expenditure, and both decreased significantly over the eleven-year period. Consumer magazines and local newspaper showed a slight fall, however consumer magazines had the highest amount of about 9.5 million dollars in 2005. National radio and network radio show a stable amount of advertising expenditure and show a significant decline to nearly zero in 2005. Cable TV and the Internet, however, showed an increase, even the Internet shot up more than 400% in advertising expenditure.

The line graph shows the comparison of male and female smokers in Indonesia from 1995 to 2005. Over the eleven-year period, the trends were obviously downward. The decline of male smokers was significant, of more than 50%. Female smokers showed a slight decrease and in 2005, the gap between male and female smokers was only about 10%.

Overall, there was a correlation between the amount of expenditure on smoking advertisements and the decline in the number of smokers.

(189 words)
This writing was corrected by my EAP teacher at IALF Bali.
Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS 6ME, 2006

Read More

Describing a process: Camera

In IELTS writing task 1, sometimes we are asked to describe a process. Here, I present an example of how to describe the development of the camera. Unfortunately, I cannot present the diagram or picture, but we can learn the expression, structure, and connecting word used.
---------------------------------

The diagrams illustrate how the camera has developed since its invention in 1893. Basically, the design of all cameras is similar. They consist of two main parts i.e. body and lens.

There are some considerable similarities between all cameras. The shape of all cameras from the Daguerrotype to the Digital camera is roughly rectangular. Another similarity is the lenses on the front of the cameras, which are cylindrical in shape.

The development of the camera from 1839 to 2000 is characterized by a number of significant differences. First, the structure of the cameras has considerably changed. The first camera is made of wood, the 1888 Kodak No.1 and 1925 Leica 1 are made of metal, and the 2000 Digital camera is made of plastic. Second, the size of the cameras has gradually become smaller. The 1839 Daguerrotype is 36 cm in length, while the Kodak and Leica are approximately half the size of the first one, and the Digital camera is only 8 cm in length. Finally, the features of the cameras have also developed from the simple to the more complex types, which have LCD screens, Internet connections and zoom lenses.

Overall, although the basic concept of the camera has remained the same since it was invented, there have been many changes in the development of the camera.

(219 words)
This work was corrected by my EAP teacher at IALF Bali.
Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS 6ME, 2006

Read More

Practicing Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense is commonly used in our daily conversation. However, it is still difficult to be applied. Below is my writing to practice pesent perfect tense. It illustrates how my life has changed since I started my EAP.

My Life Has Changed

I have worked as a physician as well as a lecturer in the Public Health School in Bali since I finished my first job in Central Sulawesi. My life has changed since I started my English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at IALF Bali. Not only my daily activities have changed, but I have also been changed in many ways.
I have more responsibilities than before. I usually wake up at 6.00 a.m. if I work as a lecturer, whereas, after joining EAP class, I wake up an hour earlier, at 5.00 a.m. to do homework or review yesterday’s lessons. As a lecturer, I have taught my students and have given tasks or homework to them. My work time, which was flexible, depended on the lecture schedules. Conversely, at an intensive EAP course, I am a student who gets lessons and tasks from my teacher. I have to focus on my English all day. As a physician, I have conducted private practice in the afternoon. However, I cannot do this when I have to be fully involved in my EAP course.
My life has also been changed by making friends. By attending EAP course, I have got a lot of new friends. They come from various regions of Indonesia. They are all cute and friendly, and they make me feel part of an amusing community. We respect each other even though we have different backgrounds. Moreover, I have close friends. I feel as if they are my brothers and sisters. In our spare time, we have enjoyed eating ice cream, walking on the beach, or just talking and laughing together. It is a wonderful and worthwhile brotherhood.
Overall, I am pleased to have a great opportunity to change my lifestyle as well as my learning styles. I am also happy that my life has been changed into an amusing friendship which I have never had before.

(329 words)

Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS 6ME, 2006

Read More

Describing Someone

This posting is an example as to how to describe someone. Find out the useful expressions used and important vocabulary when describing someone's education and carieer. This article is taken from my English for Academic Purposes and was corrected by my English teacher at IALF Bali.

ERNI’S EDUCATION AND CAREER

Erni graduated from the Economics Faculty of Gadjah Mada University in 2003. Her major field of study was accountancy, so her degree is Bachelor of Accounting.
Erni has been working in the Representative Office of Makasar, Supreme Audit Board of Indonesia, since she graduated from university. Currently, she is in charge of South Sulawesi III Division as an auditor.
She says that she would not change her career. She enjoyed her first job very much She is very interested in her job because she can travel to many places in South Sulawesi Province when she conducts an audit. However, she sometimes is not happy with her employment conditions because she can’t always fully express herself. Occasionally, she gets bored when she has to do monotonous work.
She usually works from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm. When she conducts an audit of local government, she sometimes works long hours and feels under pressure. However, she gets a good salary and also rewards from her employer. Erni trained to be a junior expert auditor for three months in Jakarta. Her employer always provides professional development opportunities for her.

Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS 6ME, 2006

Read More

Comparing and Contrasting

This writing is an example of how to compare and contrast one thing to another. The important thing here is how to use the connecting words. This example is comparing and contrasting the condition of two families. This is taken from my EAP course and was corrected by my English teacher.

The welfare of a family is determined by how well they fulfil their basic needs for food, housing, and security. In addition, it is also shown by how people can spend their leisure and how many properties or possessions they have. The differences in life of two families are shown in the comparisons and contrasts of the Regzen family and the Ketut family.
The Regzen family live on the outskirts of Ulan Bator, capital of Monglia. The environment where they live is heavily polluted. Similarly, the Ketut family live far from a city, in a village in Bangli, a province of Bali. However, the environment where the Ketuts live has little pollution and is a very comfortable place to live. The Regzens’ house, which measures about 19 square meters, is a one-room ger (tent). In contrast, the Ketuts’ house is a permanent house made of concrete, which measures about 80 square meters and consists of three bedrooms, one family room, and one kitchen.
There are six persons in the Regzen household i.e. Regzen Batsuury, his wife, their two children, and Regzen’s sister and her daughter. The Ketuts are like the Regzens in household size. Ketut and his wife have two children, and they also live with Ketut’s parents. Regzen’s daughter is nine years old and attends the local school, while the son is still too young. Ketut’s children are similar to Regzen’s. Ketut’s son is eight years old and attends the primary school, and the daughter is also still younger than two.

Regzen is a truck driver and freelance construction worker. His wife works in the pharmacy of the local hospital. On the other hand, Ketut is a government employee, which is a steady job, and Ketut’s wife is only responsible for housework.
The Regzen family has fewer possessions than the Ketut family. The Regzens only have one television. They don’t have radios, telephones, computers or cars. Conversely, the Ketuts have many electronics such as a television, a radio, and a telephone. Neither family have computers or cars. However, Ketut has a motorcycle.
In conclusion, they have a different social status. The Regzens live in poverty, whereas the Ketuts have a better social status including a better occupation and much more property and possessions than the Regzens.

(385 words)

Submitted by Ady Wirawan, ADS6ME, 2006

Read More