Scorify.uzThe question
In many countries, people read fewer books for pleasure than they did in the past. Why do you think this is happening? Is this a negative development?
Write at least 250 words.
What the question asks
There are two direct questions, so answer both in separate body paragraphs: first give reasons, then give your judgement about whether the decline is negative. Keep to reading for pleasure and avoid drifting into a general essay about technology.
Essay plan
- Introduction: Acknowledge the trend and say you will explain the reasons and then give your view.
- Body 1: reasons: Competition from streaming, games and social media; busy lifestyles; short-content habits that reduce patience for long texts.
- Body 2: is it negative?: Yes, partly: concentration, vocabulary, empathy; but people still read articles and audiobooks, so the picture is mixed.
- Conclusion: Summarise the causes and state your judgement clearly.
Band 7+ sample essay
Surveys in several countries suggest that adults and teenagers open fewer books than previous generations did. I believe this is mainly the result of competing forms of entertainment, and I consider it a concerning, though not disastrous, development.
The principal reason is the sheer amount of alternatives. A person who comes home tired can watch a series on demand, play a game or scroll through videos, and these activities require far less effort than a novel. Working hours are also long in many places, so leisure time is limited. In addition, constant exposure to short messages and clips may train the mind to expect quick rewards, making it harder to stay focused on a few hundred pages.
As for whether this is negative, I think that in several ways it is. Reading long texts improves concentration and widens vocabulary, and studies of students have often linked regular reading with better writing. Fiction also helps readers imagine the feelings of other people, which supports empathy. If these habits are lost, individuals may find it harder to follow complex arguments in work or politics.
However, the situation is not entirely bleak. Many people now listen to audiobooks on the way to work, and others read long articles or e-books on their phones, so the format is changing rather than disappearing.
In conclusion, fewer people read books because easier entertainment and busy schedules compete for their time, and this is a worrying trend for attention and understanding, which schools and families can counter by making reading enjoyable from an early age. Libraries and book clubs also have a part to play.
268 words.
Why this essay scores well
- Task Response: every part of the question is answered and the position stays consistent from the introduction to the conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion: each paragraph has one clear idea, linked with natural connectors rather than a list of memorised phrases.
- Lexical Resource: topic vocabulary is precise and varied, without forcing rare words.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a mix of simple and complex sentences, with conditionals and relative clauses used accurately.
Useful vocabulary
- for pleasure — because you enjoy it, not for work or study
- on demand — available whenever you want
- leisure time — free time
- quick rewards — fast satisfaction
- stay focused — keep your attention on something
- widen vocabulary — learn more words
- empathy — understanding other people's feelings
- bleak — without hope; very negative
Common mistakes on this question
- Answering only the first question and giving the judgement in a single sentence.
- Treating reading as only a school activity instead of leisure reading.
- Making an extreme claim such as nobody reads any more.
Study guides
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Frequently asked questions
What type of essay is this IELTS Task 2 question?
It is a two-part question question. There are two direct questions, so answer both in separate body paragraphs: first give reasons, then give your judgement about whether the decline is negative. Keep to reading for pleasure and avoid drifting into a general essay about technology.
How many words should the essay be?
Write at least 250 words. Most strong answers are 260–290 words, planned in about five minutes and completed in 40 minutes.
How many paragraphs should I write?
Four paragraphs work well: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Each body paragraph needs one main idea, an explanation and an example.