This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of cities and exercise from the real IELTS exam.

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IELTS Essay: Cities and Exercise

Many people living in cities these days do not get enough physical exercise.

What are the causes of this?

What are some possible solutions?

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the average citizen living in an urban area to set aside enough time for exercise. This is largely because of the rise of sedentary lifestyles and the best solutions involve moderate, individual changes.

The main causes of reduced physical activity by city residents is more modern ways of living. This relates first of all to technology. In the past, people were more likely to go out to meet with friends or take a trip to the cinema and now it is more common to chat with friends online and watch TV shows on Netflix at home. Combined with this is the widespread use of other technologies that reduce activity such as washing machines, apps for ordering food, and self-cleaning robots. All these factors together constitute a trend towards more passive lifestyles dependent on the modern comforts of 21st century technology.

Solutions for these problems ought to all involve individual initiative. Most people today are at least dimly aware of the dangers of addiction to and reliance on technology. Some possible remedies include allocating time every day to doing exercise or joining a sports team or socially reinforcing group activity such as yoga. There are also potential counters related to new technologies. Many companies are meeting consumer demand with wearable technologies, like the Fitbit or Apple Watch, that track advanced biometric data ranging from heartbeat to quality of sleep. These devices implicitly encourage a more active lifestyle.

In conclusion, technology is at the root of less exercise among city residents and this can be fixed by individuals taking up the burden of improving their own lives. These solutions are advisable since individual responsibility is a habit with myriad benefits.

Analysis

1. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the average citizen living in an urban area to set aside enough time for exercise. 2. This is largely because of the rise of sedentary lifestyles and the best solutions involve moderate, individual changes.

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

1. The main causes of reduced physical activity by city residents is more modern ways of living. 2. This relates first of all to technology. 3. In the past, people were more likely to go out to meet with friends or take a trip to the cinema and now it is more common to chat with friends online and watch TV shows on Netflix at home. 4. Combined with this is the widespread use of other technologies that reduce activity such as washing machines, apps for ordering food, and self-cleaning robots. 5. All these factors together constitute a trend towards more passive lifestyles dependent on the modern comforts of 21st century technology.

1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea.
3. Develop it with specific examples.
4. Move on to a second cause.
5. Finish developing both ideas.

1. Solutions for these problems ought to all involve individual initiative. 2. Most people today are at least dimly aware of the dangers of addiction to and reliance on technology. 3. Some possible remedies include allocating time every day to doing exercise or joining a sports team or socially reinforcing group activity such as yoga. 4. There are also potential counters related to new technologies. 5. Many companies are meeting consumer demand with wearable technologies, like the Fitbit or Apple Watch, that track advanced biometric data ranging from heartbeat to quality of sleep. 6. These devices implicitly encourage a more active lifestyle.

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. Make sure you have 2 solutions.
5. And you develop the second solution fully.
6. Conclude the paragraph or finish developing your last idea.

1. In conclusion, technology is at the root of less exercise among city residents and this can be fixed by individuals taking up the burden of improving their own lives. 2. These solutions are advisable since individual responsibility is a habit with myriad benefits.

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

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean?

It is becoming increasingly difficult for the average citizen living in an urban area to set aside enough time for exercise. This is largely because of the rise of sedentary lifestyles and the best solutions involve moderate, individual changes.

The main causes of reduced physical activity by city residents is more modern ways of living. This relates first of all to technology. In the past, people were more likely to go out to meet with friends or take a trip to the cinema and now it is more common to chat with friends online and watch TV shows on Netflix at home. Combined with this is the widespread use of other technologies that reduce activity such as washing machines, apps for ordering food, and self-cleaning robots. All these factors together constitute a trend towards more passive lifestyles dependent on the modern comforts of 21st century technology.

Solutions for these problems ought to all involve individual initiative. Most people today are at least dimly aware of the dangers of addiction to and reliance on technology. Some possible remedies include allocating time every day to doing exercise or joining a sports team or socially reinforcing group activity such as yoga. There are also potential counters related to new technologies. Many companies are meeting consumer demand with wearable technologies, like the Fitbit or Apple Watch, that track advanced biometric data ranging from heartbeat to quality of sleep. These devices implicitly encourage a more active lifestyle.

In conclusion, technology is at the root of less exercise among city residents and this can be fixed by individuals taking up the burden of improving their own lives. These solutions are advisable since individual responsibility is a habit with myriad benefits.

Answers

increasingly difficult more and more hard

average citizen normal person

urban area city

set aside keep safe

largely mostly

rise of sedentary lifestyles less active lives

involve related to

moderate minimal

individual changes not group reforms

reduced physical activity more passive

residents people who live there

modern ways of living new lifestyles

relates has to do with

more common more popular

combined with this altogether

widespread common

reduce activity make more passive

self-cleaning robots Roomba and other devices

factors together elements combined

constitute a trend add up to a pattern

passive not active

dependent reliant on

modern comforts conveniences

individual initiative people acting on their own

at least dimly aware at miniumum know to an extent

dangers risks

addiction to can’t stop using

reliance on dependent on

remedies fixes

allocating time giving time

socially reinforcing friends encouraging

potential counters possible solutions

meeting consumer demand giving customers what they want

wearable can be worn on the body

track advanced biometric data follow health info

heartbeat how fast your heart beats

quality of sleep how good your sleep is

devices electronics

implicitly encourage imply

at the root of the source of

fixed solved

taking up the burden of take responsibility

advisable a good idea to

individual responsibility one’s duty

habit repeated action

myriad benefits many advantages

Pronunciation

ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli ˈdɪfɪkəlt 
ˈævərɪʤ ˈsɪtɪzn 
ˈɜːbən ˈeərɪə 
sɛt əˈsaɪd 
ˈlɑːʤli 
raɪz ɒv ˈsɛdntəri ˈlaɪfˌstaɪlz 
ɪnˈvɒlv 
ˈmɒdərɪt
ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəl ˈʧeɪnʤɪz
rɪˈdjuːst ˈfɪzɪkəl ækˈtɪvɪti 
ˈrɛzɪdənts 
ˈmɒdən weɪz ɒv ˈlɪvɪŋ
rɪˈleɪts 
mɔː ˈkɒmən 
kəmˈbaɪnd wɪð ðɪs 
ˈwaɪdsprɛd 
rɪˈdjuːs ækˈtɪvɪti 
sɛlf-ˈkliːnɪŋ ˈrəʊbɒts
ˈfæktəz təˈgɛðə 
ˈkɒnstɪtjuːt ə trɛnd 
ˈpæsɪv 
dɪˈpɛndənt 
ˈmɒdən ˈkʌmfəts
ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəl ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv
æt liːst ˈdɪmli əˈweə 
ˈdeɪnʤəz 
əˈdɪkʃ(ə)n tuː 
rɪˈlaɪəns ɒn 
ˈrɛmɪdiz 
ˈæləʊkeɪtɪŋ taɪm 
ˈsəʊʃəli ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsɪŋ 
pəʊˈtɛnʃəl ˈkaʊntəz 
ˈmiːtɪŋ kənˈsjuːmə dɪˈmɑːnd 
ˈweərəbl 
træk ədˈvɑːnst ˈbaɪəʊ ˈmɛtrɪk ˈdeɪtə 
ˈhɑːtbiːt 
ˈkwɒlɪti ɒv sliːp
dɪˈvaɪsɪz 
ɪmˈplɪsɪtli ɪnˈkʌrɪʤ
æt ðə ruːt ɒv 
fɪkst 
ˈteɪkɪŋ ʌp ðə ˈbɜːdn ɒv 
ədˈvaɪzəbl 
ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəl rɪsˌpɒnsəˈbɪlɪti 
ˈhæbɪt 
ˈmɪrɪəd ˈbɛnɪfɪts

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

It is becoming i__________________________t for the a_______________n living in an u___________a to s___________e enough time for exercise. This is l_______y because of the r________________________s and the best solutions i________e m__________e, i_____________________s.

The main causes of r_________________________y by city r____________s is more m______________________g. This r_________s first of all to technology. In the past, people were more likely to go out to meet with friends or take a trip to the cinema and now it is m________________n to chat with friends online and watch TV shows on Netflix at home. C______________________s is the w______________d use of other technologies that r_______________y such as washing machines, apps for ordering food, and s_____________________s. All these f______________________r c____________________d towards more p___________e lifestyles d______________t on the m___________________s of 21st century technology.

Solutions for these problems ought to all involve i_______________________e. Most people today are a_______________________e of the d____________s of a______________o and r_______________n technology. Some possible r_____________s include a________________e every day to doing exercise or joining a sports team or s____________________g group activity such as yoga. There are also p_________________________s related to new technologies. Many companies are m_________________________d with w____________e technologies, like the Fitbit or Apple Watch, that t_________________________________a ranging from h____________t to q_____________________p. These d_________s i____________________e a more active lifestyle.

In conclusion, technology is a__________________f less exercise among city residents and this can be f________d by individuals t________________________f improving their own lives. These solutions are a__________e since i_______________________y is a h________t with m________________s.

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuooL0l_l58

Reading Practice

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

https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/06/what-makes-cities-fit/57893/

Speaking Practice

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

Sports

1. Which sport do you like to play?
2. Have you ever been on a sports team?
3. Do you like watching sports on TV?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related topic below and then check with my sample answer:

Many feel that going to the gym is the best way to stay fit. Others think there are more effective methods.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Gym/Exercise (General Training)