This is my IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of free public libraries.

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IELTS Essay: Free Public Libraries

Some people think that the government should provide free public libraries in every town, while others think that this is a waste of money because people can access information on the internet.

Discuss both viewpoints and give your own opinion.

Some people argue that governments should build free public libraries in every town, while others claim that this is unnecessary since the internet already provides easy access to information. Although online sources are undeniably convenient, I believe that libraries still serve an essential social and educational role that the internet cannot fully replace.

On one hand, the internet allows people to access a vast amount of information at little or no cost. For example, students can now locate millions of research papers, lectures, and e-books from websites like Google Scholar or Coursera without leaving their homes. This has made learning more flexible and inclusive, especially for people living in remote areas. Furthermore, maintaining physical libraries can be expensive, requiring staff salaries, electricity, and constant book replacement, whereas digital resources are comparatively cheap to update and distribute. From this perspective, building libraries may appear outdated and financially inefficient.

On the other hand, public libraries provide benefits beyond mere access to information. They offer quiet, structured environments that promote deep reading and concentration, something that online browsing often discourages. For instance, in Finland, libraries act as community centers where children attend storytelling sessions, the elderly join reading clubs, and unemployed residents receive job-search training. These social interactions strengthen community bonds and create equal learning opportunities regardless of income level. As not everyone has reliable internet access, especially in developing countries, libraries remain an essential bridge to intellectual and social progress.

In conclusion, while the internet has revolutionized how people obtain information, libraries continue to play a vital educational and social role. Governments should not view them as a financial burden but as long-term investments in literacy, equality, and community well-being.

Analysis

1. Some people argue that governments should build free public libraries in every town, while others claim that this is unnecessary since the internet already provides easy access to information. 2. Although online sources are undeniably convenient, I believe that libraries still serve an essential social and educational role that the internet cannot fully replace.

1. Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
2. Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.

1. On one hand, the internet allows people to access a vast amount of information at little or no cost. 2. For example, students can now locate millions of research papers, lectures, and e-books from websites like Google Scholar or Coursera without leaving their homes. 3. This has made learning more flexible and inclusive, especially for people living in remote areas. 4. Furthermore, maintaining physical libraries can be expensive, requiring staff salaries, electricity, and constant book replacement, whereas digital resources are comparatively cheap to update and distribute. 5. From this perspective, building libraries may appear outdated and financially inefficient.

1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea.
3. Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
4. Keep developing it fully.
5. Better to have more detail.

1. On the other hand, public libraries provide benefits beyond mere access to information. 2. They offer quiet, structured environments that promote deep reading and concentration, something that online browsing often discourages. 3. For instance, in Finland, libraries act as community centers where children attend storytelling sessions, the elderly join reading clubs, and unemployed residents receive job-search training. 4. These social interactions strengthen community bonds and create equal learning opportunities regardless of income level. 5. As not everyone has reliable internet access, especially in developing countries, libraries remain an essential bridge to intellectual and social progress.

1. Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
2. Explain your new main idea.
3. Include specific details and examples.
4. Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
5. This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.

1. In conclusion, while the internet has revolutionized how people obtain information, libraries continue to play a vital educational and social role. 2. Governments should not view them as a financial burden but as long-term investments in literacy, equality, and community well-being.

1. Summarise your main ideas.
2. Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Some people argue that governments should build free public libraries in every town, while others claim that this is unnecessary since the internet already provides easy access to information. Although online sources are undeniably convenient, I believe that libraries still serve an essential social and educational role that the internet cannot fully replace.

On one hand, the internet allows people to access a vast amount of information at little or no cost. For example, students can now locate millions of research papers, lectures, and e-books from websites like Google Scholar or Coursera without leaving their homes. This has made learning more flexible and inclusive, especially for people living in remote areas. Furthermore, maintaining physical libraries can be expensive, requiring staff salaries, electricity, and constant book replacement, whereas digital resources are comparatively cheap to update and distribute. From this perspective, building libraries may appear outdated and financially inefficient.

On the other hand, public libraries provide benefits beyond mere access to information. They offer quiet, structured environments that promote deep reading and concentration, something that online browsing often discourages. For instance, in Finland, libraries act as community centers where children attend storytelling sessions, the elderly join reading clubs, and unemployed residents receive job-search training. These social interactions strengthen community bonds and create equal learning opportunities regardless of income level. As not everyone has reliable internet access, especially in developing countries, libraries remain an essential bridge to intellectual and social progress.

In conclusion, while the internet has revolutionized how people obtain information, libraries continue to play a vital educational and social role. Governments should not view them as a financial burden but as long-term investments in literacy, equality, and community well-being.

Answers

For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:

• build free public libraries → establish publicly funded libraries
• claim → argue / assert
• unnecessary → not essential
• provides easy access to information → offers convenient availability of information
• undeniably convenient → unquestionably practical
• still serve an essential social and educational role → continue to fulfill a crucial social and academic function
• cannot fully replace → are unable to completely substitute
• On one hand → From one perspective
• access a vast amount of information at little or no cost → obtain extensive information with minimal or zero expense
• locate millions of research papers → find countless academic studies
• lectures → instructional talks
• flexible → adaptable
• inclusive → accessible to all
• in remote areas → in isolated regions
• staff salaries → employee wages
• constant book replacement → ongoing renewal of collections
• digital resources → online materials
• comparatively cheap to update and distribute → relatively inexpensive to revise and share
• From this perspective → Viewed this way
• outdated → obsolete
• financially inefficient → not cost-effective
• On the other hand → Conversely
• provide benefits beyond mere access to information → offer advantages that go beyond simple information availability
• structured environments → organized settings
• promote deep reading → encourage sustained reading
• concentration → focused attention
• online browsing → casual internet surfing
• discourages → undermines
• libraries act as community centers → libraries function as communal hubs
• attend storytelling sessions → participate in story-reading events
• reading clubs → book discussion groups
• unemployed residents receive job-search training → jobless individuals are given employment guidance
• social interactions strengthen community bonds → interpersonal contact reinforces social ties
• create equal learning opportunities regardless of income level → ensure fair educational access independent of financial status
• reliable internet access → stable online connectivity
• especially in developing countries → particularly in less-developed nations
• remain an essential bridge to intellectual and social progress → continue to be a vital link to educational and societal advancement
• revolutionized → fundamentally transformed
• obtain information → acquire knowledge
• play a vital educational and social role → serve a crucial academic and communal function
• financial burden → economic strain
• long-term investments in literacy → sustained commitments to reading and education
• community well-being → overall social welfare

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:

bɪld friː ˈpʌblɪk ˈlaɪbrᵊriz

kleɪm

ʌnˈnɛsəsɛri

prəˈvaɪdz ˈiːzi ˈæksɛs tuː ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃᵊn

ˌʌndɪˈnaɪəbᵊli kənˈviːniənt

stɪl sɜːv ən ɪˈsɛnʃᵊl ˈsəʊʃᵊl ænd ˌɛʤʊˈkeɪʃᵊnᵊl rəʊl

ˈkænɒt ˈfʊli rɪˈpleɪs

ɒn wʌn hænd

ˈæksɛs ə vɑːst əˈmaʊnt ɒv ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃᵊn æt ˈlɪtᵊl ɔː nəʊ kɒst

ləʊˈkeɪt ˈmɪljənz ɒv rɪˈsɜːʧ ˈpeɪpəz

ˈlɛkʧəz

ˈflɛksəbᵊl

ɪnˈkluːsɪv

ɪn rɪˈməʊt ˈeəriəz

stɑːf ˈsæləriz

ˈkɒnstᵊnt bʊk rɪˈpleɪsmənt

ˈdɪʤɪtᵊl rɪˈzɔːsɪz

kəmˈpærətɪvli ʧiːp tuː ʌpˈdeɪt ænd dɪˈstrɪbjuːt

frɒm ðɪs pəˈspɛktɪv

aʊtˈdeɪtɪd

faɪˈnænʃᵊli ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃᵊnt

ɒn ði ˈʌðə hænd

prəˈvaɪd ˈbɛnɪfɪts bɪˈjɒnd mɪər ˈæksɛs tuː ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃᵊn

ˈstrʌkʧəd ɪnˈvaɪrᵊnmənts

prəˈməʊt diːp ˈriːdɪŋ

ˌkɒnsᵊnˈtreɪʃᵊn

ˈɒnˌlaɪn ˈbraʊzɪŋ

dɪˈskʌrɪʤɪz

ˈlaɪbrᵊriz ækt æz kəˈmjuːnəti ˈsɛntəz

əˈtɛnd ˈstɔːrɪˌtɛlɪŋ ˈsɛʃᵊnz

ˈriːdɪŋ klʌbz

ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd ˈrɛzɪdᵊnts rɪˈsiːv ʤɒb-sɜːʧ ˈtreɪnɪŋ

ˈsəʊʃᵊl ˌɪntəˈrækʃᵊnz ˈstrɛŋθᵊn kəˈmjuːnəti bɒndz

kriˈeɪt ˈiːkwəl ˈlɜːnɪŋ ˌɒpəˈʧuːnətiz rɪˈɡɑːdləs ɒv ˈɪnkʌm ˈlɛvᵊl

rɪˈlaɪəbᵊl ˈɪntənɛt ˈæksɛs

ɪˈspɛʃᵊli ɪn dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈkʌntriz

rɪˈmeɪn ən ɪˈsɛnʃᵊl brɪʤ tuː ˌɪntᵊlˈɛkʧuəl ænd ˈsəʊʃᵊl ˈprəʊɡrɛs

ˌrɛvəˈluːʃᵊnaɪzd

əbˈteɪn ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃᵊn

pleɪ ə ˈvaɪtᵊl ˌɛʤʊˈkeɪʃᵊnᵊl ænd ˈsəʊʃᵊl rəʊl

faɪˈnænʃᵊl ˈbɜːdᵊn

ˈlɒŋtɜːm ɪnˈvɛstmənts ɪn ˈlɪtᵊrəsi

kəˈmjuːnəti ˌwɛlˈbiːɪŋ

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

Some people argue that governments should build ______________ libraries in every town, while others c____m that this is u______________y since the internet already provides ______________ information. Although online sources are undeniably ______________t, I believe that libraries still _________________________ role that the internet cannot ________ replace.

On ____ hand, the internet allows people to access ____________________________________ no cost. For example, students can now locate ______________________ papers, l__________s, and e-books from websites like Google Scholar or Coursera without leaving their homes. This has made learning more f______e and i______e, especially for people living in ________ areas. Furthermore, maintaining physical libraries can be expensive, requiring staff _________s, electricity, and constant _________ replacement, whereas digital _________s are comparatively _________________________ distribute. From ______ perspective, building libraries may appear o_______d and financially ________t.

On ____________ hand, public libraries provide _________________________________ information. They offer quiet, structured ________________s that promote _____ reading and c______________n, something that online _______g often d_______s. For instance, in Finland, libraries ____________ centers where children attend _________ sessions, the elderly join reading ___s, and unemployed _______________________________ training. These social interactions ______________________ bonds and create _________________________________________________ income level. As not everyone has reliable __________ access, especially in _________ countries, libraries remain ______________________________________ social progress.

In conclusion, while the internet has r___________d how people obtain _________n, libraries continue to play a __________________________ role. Governments should not view them as a financial ______n but as long-term ___________ literacy, equality, and community _________g.

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities:

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:

https://dkpl.org/exploring-public-libraries-around-the-world/

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:

Books and Reading Habits

1. Do you often read books?

2. Do you read different books now than you did when you were younger?

3. Have you ever read a novel that has been adapted into a film?

4. Which do you prefer: reading books or watching movies?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related IELTS essay topic:

Many believe that reading books is a waste of time and children would be better served doing something more useful.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

IELTS Essay: The Value of Reading