You have 48 hours to put this essay’s sentences in order! Your responses will appear in my upcoming YouTube video!

This essay was written in response to the following essay question (seen in January in an unknown location):

More people are traveling today than ever before.  Why do you think this is?

Look at the following sentences.  As a comment to this blog post, please copy and paste these sentences into the right order.  I will be making a video about this exercise and will include images of your responses:

1. Following this look, it is clear that global trade opportunities and tourism are altering humanity’s need for international travel.
2. For example, knowledge of raw resources available in African countries has piqued the interest of manufacturing and consuming nations the world over.
3. Both will be examined in this essay.
4. For instance, Chinese tourist numbers are growing so quickly that major holiday destinations, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, are choosing to display their public signs in French, English and Mandarin.
5. In addition to this, growing affluence the world over has made it possible for increasing amounts of people to engage in recreational travel.
6. Today, the number of people engaging in international travel is swelling rapidly.
7. Thus, the unshrinking need for tourist hotspots to accommodate travelers from various countries is clear evidence that a true link between tourism numbers and international travel exists.
8. Thus, it is clear that trade is one of the core reasons international travel is growing.
9. To capitalize on this interest, many are making expeditions to establish cross border connections with businesspeople in the African region.
10. It is thus expected that rates of travel will only continue to climb into the foreseeable future.
11. This is a trend that does not appear to be slowing at all.
12. On the one hand, the increasing international awareness of growth markets is spurring development in the travel sector.
13. It can therefore be concluded that growing worldwide affluence is fueling a surge in international travel numbers.
14. Although many factors have contributed to this growth, trade opportunities and tourism are thought to be the main triggers.

Spot the mistakes in this IELTS essay video!

Can you find the mistake in each sentence?

No access to YouTube?  Download the video here.

Should education and healthcare be free of charge and funded by the government, or should it be the responsibility of the people to pay for these services?

History and human development have proven that education and healthcare are fundamental human rights and should not be restricted to anyone regardless of financial status.  Thus, it is argued that the funding of education and basic healthcare is a responsibility that should be borne by a country’s government.  This will be proven by looking at how such an arrangement leads societies to higher standards of living, which in turn leads to greater degrees of productivity per capita.

Firstly, when the people of a society do not need to worry about paying for education and healthcare, they have greater freedom to develop as human beings.  For example, the Human Development Index is a chart that compares countries based on their citizens’ life expectancy, level of education and income expectancy.  It is no surprise that countries providing free healthcare and education (such as Sweden and Australia) consistently have higher HDI levels than countries that do not provide these services.  Thus, academia and medical support should be provided by governments.

In addition to the above, it appears that when a society’s concern for personal wellbeing is lessened, the productivity of its people increases.  For instance, gross domestic product per capita values appear to move in tandem with HDI values.  Thus, the tie between longer life expectancy, education and GDP can be seen.  It therefore is clear that governments capable of providing educational and healthcare resources for their societies encourage positive growth.

As the above discussion shows, countries are most benefitted when governments take on the burden of education and medical expenses.  It is therefore hoped that all countries around the world strive to provide such an arrangement.

Anyone from Pune? Rahul nabs 8.5 in Reading and Listening using alternative study methods!

I recently had a great chat with Rahul about his experiences with the IELTS exam.  Rahul’s approach to General Reading is interesting, as he approaches passages 1 and 2 differently from passage 3.  As you will hear in the interview, Rahul has found that this strategy allowed him to accelerate the speed with which he worked through the readings.  What this meant was more time to check over his answers.  His 8.5 reflects that this strategy works.

Tune in to our conversation and hear Rahul explain this and other strategies in his own words.  You can download the entire interview here.  (If you find these videos motivating, please consider leaving me a 5 star rating in iTunes.)

Attention:  I am looking for more successful IELTS students to interview.  I know from reading your comments on my YouTube page that many of you have scored band 7 and higher.  Please consider sparing 30 minutes of your time to share your exam strategies with the world.  Contact me at ryan@ieltsielts.com.

Prepositions are frustrating! How well do you know yours?

No access to YouTube?  Download the video by clicking here.

Your friend visited your home recently.  They forgot something.  Write a letter to your friend about this situation.  In your letter include:

-what your friend forgot

-where the item is now

-a proposed arrangement to return the item

Dear Jose,

I am writing for/on/to two reasons.  Firstly, my wife and I would like to thank you for your visit last night.  You and Sharon are great company.  Secondly, I wanted to let you know that you forgot your laptop when you left.  Allow me to elaborate.

I imagine that upon arriving home you realized it was missing, but on/about/in the event you did not I wanted to write this letter to tell you.  The laptop is still sitting where you left it at/between/on the coffee table in/at/around our living room.  My wife and I have appreciated having your library of music to tap into.  However, I should point out that I could not track down the computer’s carrying case, so I hope this is on/among/around your things.

I suppose we will have to arrange a time to meet.  I am free any day this week, aside from Sunday.  What day and time suit you?  We could either drive it your direction, or you could come our way to pick it up.

Your friend,

Ryan

Many high school students take part time jobs.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

At/Among/To many cultures, adolescents are encouraged to work part time.  But this is a phenomenon that is not universally encouraged, as many people feel such an arrangement has drawbacks.  This essay will look at the advantages and disadvantages associated among/to/with working high school students.

On the one hand, students who work part time gain business exposure and learn to handle money.  For example, companies like McDonald’s often hire high school students to work their front cash registers.  For these young adults, they are learning both how to deal among/below/with people in a professional way and how to transact money.  As these sorts of hands on abilities are not taught in schools, it is clear that several advantages derive from/to/towards students working part time.

However, on the other hand, students who choose to work during their high school years spend time away from their studies and may be exposed to dangerous situations.  For instance, I remember as a student once working by/within/in a restaurant in an underdeveloped part of my city.  The clientele often had serious personal problems, such as drug and alcohol addiction.  To make matters worse, I worked so many weekly hours at this restaurant that my school grades started to suffer.  As this experience shows, there are several disadvantages that can befall working students.

Following this look, it can be concluded that part time work among students should be engaged on/for/by a case-by-case basis.  So long as a working arrangement does not infringe upon a student’s safety or their grades, it is recommended that part time work be pursued by/from/to all adolescent people