Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

(Sample IELTS Essays)

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Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Discuss with your partner:

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Task 2 Writing Skills: Coherence and Cohesion

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Numerous expressions can be used to make texts more cohesive and coherent. These include:

• Logical links (addition / cause / result / contrast / concession / purpose / order / etc.)

• Grammatical links (personal pronouns / relative pronouns / articles / substitution words).
• Quantifiers (some / most / all / many)
• Modifiers (should / must / can / could / might / etc)

Fill in the gaps with suitable expressions to make this answer coherent and cohesive.

Watching television is an important part of children’s leisure time. Teenagers spend a considerable amount of time watching programs and playing video games on TV. (1.____________) people feel that television offers many benefits for children, ( 2.__________ ___________) believe that TV is harmful and young people would be better to spend their time doing other activities.

Watching television (3._________ be) a good way for young people to spend their free time. (4.______ ____________), watching news and current affairs programs makes children more politically aware. It also helps stimulate their interest in history, geography and other subjects (5.________) have to study at school. (6._____), children who watch these types of programs have an advantage over (7.____________) that don’t. (8._________________), TV viewing (9. ________ have) social benefits. Children can watch their favourite programs at night and then discuss them with their classmates the next day. Video games can (10._______) be social activities that young people can enjoy together.

(11.________________), many children spend far too much time in front of the TV. Because watching TV is a sedentary activity, (12.______) can lead to obesity, (13.____________) is a growing problem in western countries (14. ___________ ____) the US and Australia. (15. _____________) consideration is the particular programs that children watch. Over the past few years, reality TV has become popular. (16.___________) high school students regularly tune in to shows, such as Big Brother, (17.__________) promote bad language and behaviour. Violent movies and video games are (18.________) worrying because they (19.________ lead to) violence in society.

Young people have (20._________) alternatives to watching TV. Playing some kind of sport, (21. ______ ______________) , would help (22._________) to keep fit and also give (23.________) social contact. Reading books is (24._______________) positive activity because (25.______) helps children to become more creative and (26.__________) improves their vocabulary.

In conclusion, although TV (27. ______ have) social and educational benefits, it seems that (28. _________) young people waste too much time watching inappropriate programs. They (29.___________) spend (30.____________) of this time playing sport with their friends and reading books instead.

Task 2 Writing Skills: Coherence and Cohesion

Answer:

Watching television is an important part of children’s leisure time. Teenagers spend a considerable amount of time watching programs and playing video games on TV. (1. Some) people feel that television offers many benefits for children, (2. while others ) believe that TV is harmful and young people would be better to spend their time doing other activities.

Watching television (3.can be) a good way for young people to spend their free time. (4. For example), watching news and current affairs programs makes children more politically aware. It also helps stimulate their interest in history, geography and other subjects (5. they) have to study at school. (6.So), children who watch these types of programs have an advantage over (7. those) that don’t. (8. Furthermore), TV viewing (9. can have) social benefits. Children can watch their favourite programs at night and then discuss them with their classmates the next day. Video games can (10. also) be social activities that young people can enjoy together.

(11. However), many children spend far too much time in front of the TV. Because watching TV is a sedentary activity, (12. it) can lead to obesity, (13. which) is a growing problem in western countries (14. such as) the US and Australia. (15. Another) consideration is the particular programs that children watch. Over the past few years, reality TV has become popular. (16. Many) high school students regularly tune in to shows, such as Big Brother, (17. which) promote bad language and behaviour. Violent movies and video games are (18. also) worrying because they (19. may lead to) violence in society.

Young people have (20. many) alternatives to watching TV. Playing some kind of sport, (21. for example) , would help (22.them) to keep fit and also give (23.them) social contact. Reading books is (24. another) positive activity because (25. it) helps children to become more creative and (26. also) improves their vocabulary.

In conclusion, although TV (27. can have) social and educational benefits, it seems that (28. many) young people waste too much time watching inappropriate programs. They (29. should) spend (30. some) of this time playing sport with their friends and reading books instead.

Do young people today make good use of their leisure time? Or do they spend too much time watching television and playing video games, instead of taking part in more productive activities?

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

Paragraph 1: Background info Topic Sentence: Positive/ negative/ other activities Paragraph 2: Good way to spend time Paragraph 3: Too much time Paragraph 4: Other activities Conclusion: Can be good, but…………. harmful // other activities better

Watching television is an important part of children’s leisure time. Teenagers spend a considerable amount of time watching programs and playing video games on TV. Some people feel that television offers many benefits for children, while others feel that TV is harmful and young people would be better to spend their time doing other activities. Watching television can be a good way for young people to spend their free time. For example, watching news and current affairs programs makes children more politically aware. It also helps stimulate their interest in history, geography and other subjects they have to study at school. So, children who watch these types of programs have an advantage over those that don’t. Furthermore, TV viewing can have social benefits. Children can watch their favourite programs at night and then discuss them with their classmates the next day. Video games can also be social activities that young people can enjoy together. However, many children spend far too much time in front of the TV. Because watching TV is a sedentary activity, it can lead to obesity, which is a growing problem in western countries such as the US and Australia. Another consideration is the particular programs that children watch. Over the past few years, reality TV has become popular. Many high school students regularly tune in to shows, such as Big Brother, which promote bad language and behaviour. Violent movies and video games are also worrying because they may lead to violence in society. Young people have many alternatives to watching TV. Playing some kind of sport, for example, will keep them fit and also give them social contact. Reading books is another positive activity because it helps children to become more creative and also improves their vocabulary. In conclusion, although TV can have social and educational benefits, it seems that many young people waste too much time watching inappropriate programs. They should spend some of this time playing sport with their friends and reading books instead.

Word Count: 330