IELTS Academic Writing Practice Test 16

Write your own response before opening this example. This is a sample from the book, not a score or assessment of your writing.

The table compares how many minutes a day people in four age groups spent on five leisure activities in 2025.

Overall, the youngest and oldest groups had the most leisure time, but they used it very differently. Screen-based activities dominated in every group, but while people aged 16 to 24 spent most of their time on social media and online games, television was by far the main activity for the over-65s.

The 16–24 group spent 170 minutes a day on social media and games, almost three times as long as they spent meeting people in person (60 minutes). This figure fell steadily with age, to just 20 minutes among the oldest group. Television followed the opposite pattern, rising from 85 minutes for the youngest people to 210 minutes for those aged 65 and over.

Reading also became more popular with age, increasing from only 10 minutes to 45. Time spent on sport and exercise, by contrast, declined gradually from 45 minutes to 20. Meeting friends and family was the most stable activity, ranging from 40 to 60 minutes, with the lowest figure in the 25–44 group, which also had the least leisure time overall (290 minutes).

Commentary

• TA: The overview identifies the two main features: total leisure time is highest at both ends of the age range, and the main activity changes from social media to television. Every activity is covered, with key figures selected rather than every number copied.
• CC: Activities that follow opposite trends are grouped together (social media and television; reading and sport). Linkers such as "by contrast" and "the opposite pattern" make the comparisons clear.
• LR: Varied language for trends in a table, where there is no time sequence: "fell steadily with age", "rising from… to", "declined gradually", "the most stable activity", "by far".
• GRA: Comparative structures ("almost three times as long as"), participle clauses ("rising from…", "ranging from…") and a relative clause ("which also had the least leisure time") are used accurately.

Write your own response before opening this example. This is a sample from the book, not a score or assessment of your writing.

Not long ago, many people expected to stay with one employer for most of their working lives. Today, a growing number move from one short contract to the next, often working for several organisations in a single year. In my view, this change has some genuine benefits, but on balance it is a negative development for most workers.

It is easy to see why the trend appeals to some people. Highly skilled professionals, such as software developers or engineers, can choose interesting projects, negotiate high fees and gain experience in many different organisations in a short time. Employers also benefit, because they can hire specialists only when they need them, which keeps their costs down and allows them to react quickly when demand changes.

For the majority of workers, however, short contracts mean insecurity. A shop assistant or delivery driver on a three-month contract cannot be sure of an income after it ends, which makes it difficult to rent a flat, take out a loan or plan a family. Contract workers often miss out on benefits that permanent staff take for granted, such as paid holidays, sick pay and pensions. As a result, the risks of a business are moved from the company to the individual, who is usually far less able to carry them.

There is also a wider cost. Employers have little reason to train staff who will leave in a few months, so skills are not passed on, and workers have little loyalty to organisations that offer them none. Over time, this can lower the quality of work in a whole industry.

In conclusion, flexible contracts suit a minority of well-paid specialists and help businesses to control costs. However, because they leave most workers without security or training, I believe the overall effect is negative, unless governments ensure that contract workers receive the same basic protections as permanent employees.

Commentary

• TR: The question is answered directly, with a clear position ("on balance it is a negative development for most workers") stated in the introduction and the conclusion. The benefits are taken seriously, which makes the final judgement more convincing, and each main idea is supported with specific examples.
• CC: One paragraph for the benefits, one for the effect on individual workers and one for the wider effect. "For the majority of workers, however" and "There is also a wider cost" signal the line of argument clearly.
• LR: Precise topic vocabulary: "negotiate high fees", "insecurity", "take for granted", "sick pay and pensions", "carry the risks", "loyalty". Collocations are natural and accurate.
• GRA: A wide range of structures used accurately, including relative clauses ("who is usually far less able…"), "which"-clauses referring to a whole idea, the passive ("the risks… are moved"), and a conditional with "unless".