Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

(Sample IELTS Essays)

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Talk about this question with a partner:

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Talk about this question with a partner:

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Talk about this question with a partner:

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Talk about this question with a partner:

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Talk about this question with a partner:

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Talk about this question with a partner:

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Look at these points about the modern world. Which ones are positive points, and which ones are negative points?

1._______ Infant mortality rates have dropped on account of improved living conditions and public health services.

2.________ There has been a general improvement in human rights.

3._______ Communication has progressed remarkably.

4._______The increase in air pollution since industrialisation.

5._______ Life expectancies have steadily increased in most regions due to medical breakthroughs such as the discovery of penicillin and vaccines to counter a host of previously life-threatening diseases.

6. _______Urbanization has led to overcrowded, dirty cities, which have various social problems.

Below are examples of the main points above. See if you can match the example to the main point.

A. Factories emit considerable amounts of carbon dioxide during the production process. Also, the number of vehicles on the road has increased dramatically in recent years, adding to the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

B. The right to vote is now enjoyed by men and women in almost every country of the world.

C. Unemployment and crime have become common in many large cities.

D. One hundred years ago the telephone was cutting-edge technology for the rich; now, ordinary people can keep in touch with each other via mobile phones and the Internet.

Below is a sample essay. It is missing an introduction, the topic sentences for each body paragraph, and a conclusion. Your teacher will give you 6 sentences. See if you can match the sentences to the blanks

(1)_______________________________________________________________________

(2)_______________________________________________________________________

(3)_______________________________________________________________________

(4)________________________________________________________________________. Perhaps the most serious of these is the increase in air pollution since industrialisation. Factories emit considerable amounts of carbon dioxide during the production process. Also, the number of vehicles on the road has increased dramatically in recent years, adding to the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is a major issue because these gases cause global warming. Urbanization has also led to overcrowded, dirty cities, which have various social problems. Unemployment and crime have become common in many large cities.

(5)________________________________________________________________________. For example, life expectancies have steadily increased in most regions due to medical breakthroughs such as the discovery of penicillin and vaccines to counter a host of previously life-threatening diseases. Infant mortality rates have also dropped on account of improved living conditions and public health services. Communication is another area that has progressed remarkably. One hundred years ago the telephone was cutting-edge technology for the rich; now, ordinary people can keep in touch with each other via mobile phones and the Internet. There has also been a general improvement in human rights. The right to vote, for instance, is now enjoyed by men and women in almost every country of the world.

(6________________________________________________________________________

Cut up strips and shuffle and have students match the sentences to paragraphs in groups

There have been countless technological and social developments during this period.

There are undoubtedly some problems associated with development.

Some people feel that many of these changes have been negative, while others believe that now is the best time to be alive because of these developments.

Despite the above-mentioned negatives, people have benefited greatly from technological and social progress.

In conclusion, due to improvements in technology and human rights, life is generally better now than it was in the past.

The world has seen dramatic change over the past century.

Cut up strips and shuffle and have students match the sentences to paragraphs in groups

There have been countless technological and social developments during this period.

There are undoubtedly some problems associated with development.

Some people feel that many of these changes have been negative, while others believe that now is the best time to be alive because of these developments.

Despite the above-mentioned negatives, people have benefited greatly from technological and social progress.

In conclusion, due to improvements in technology and human rights, life is generally better now than it was in the past.

The world has seen dramatic change over the past century.

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Paragraph 1: Introduce the topic Introduce 2 sides Paragraph 2: Negative points of development Paragraph 3: Positive points Conclusion Life is better now

The world has seen dramatic change over the past century. There have been countless technological and social developments during this period. Some people feel that many of these changes have been negative, while others believe that now is the best time to be alive because of these developments. There are undoubtedly some problems associated with development. Perhaps the most serious of these is the increase in air pollution since industrialisation. Factories emit considerable amounts of carbon dioxide during the production process. Also, the number of vehicles on the road has increased dramatically in recent years, adding to the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is a major issue because these gases cause global warming. Urbanization has also led to overcrowded, dirty cities, which have various social problems. Unemployment and crime have become common in many large cities. Despite the above-mentioned negatives, people have benefited greatly from technological and social progress. For example, life expectancies have steadily increased in most regions due to medical breakthroughs such as the discovery of penicillin and vaccines to counter a host of previously life-threatening diseases. Infant mortality rates have also dropped on account of improved living conditions and public health services. Communication is another area that has progressed remarkably. One hundred years ago the telephone was cutting-edge technology for the rich; now, ordinary people can keep in touch with each other via mobile phones and the Internet. There has also been a general improvement in human rights. The right to vote, for instance, is now enjoyed by men and women in almost every country of the world. In conclusion, due to improvements in technology and human rights, life is generally better now than it was in the past.

Word Count: 285