This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of students working for free as part of their education.
It is a very common topic on the general training exam!
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Dave
IELTS Writing Task 2 General Training Sample Answer Essay: Unpaid Student Work
Many schools today require students to work without pay for companies as part of their education.
Is this more advantageous to students or companies?
Real Past IELTS Exam
An increasing number of schools are forcing students to do unpaid internships with companies as a graduation requirement. In my opinion, this measure generally benefits students more than companies.
On the one hand, companies receive free labour. Every company, whether it is an international conglomerate or a small local business, must balance expenses against revenue in hopes of turning a profit. One of the largest operating expenses is labour and having unpaid volunteers from a nearby school helps companies carve out a larger profit margin. For example, a local supermarket could use high school students to help with bagging groceries, collecting carts, stocking shelves and potentially even manning the cash registers. The savings from this labour can make a sizeable difference for companies as long as they have simple, manual positions that require little training and schools are willing to offer up students for these monotonous jobs.
On the other hand, students will generally not want to do simple, manual labour but work in a more interesting field, where they might be more of a hindrance than a help. A hypothetical example of this would be a student who has a keen interest in a given field, such as film-making, landing an internship with a local television station. In this high-pressured, skilled environment, an experienced employee will have to be charged with training and supervising a student who is unlikely to remain long with the company. This unpaid trainee will probably struggle to make much of a positive difference since the learning curve on skilled work is steep and the consequences for making mistakes can be serious. The student will learn a lot of useful skills but the company should see this as a form of charity, rather than a boon for their bottom line.
In conclusion, compulsory unpaid work for companies usually benefits students as they have a lot to learn and companies must invest in training. These positions are chances for students to become acclimated to the working world and not simply free manual labour.
Analysis
1. An increasing number of schools are forcing students to do unpaid internships with companies as a graduation requirement. 2. In my opinion, this measure generally benefits students more than companies.
- Paraphrase what the overall topic is.
- Write a clear opinion.
1. On the one hand, companies receive free labour. 2. Every company, whether it is an international conglomerate or a small local business, must balance expenses against revenue in hopes of turning a profit. 3. One of the largest operating expenses is labour and having unpaid volunteers from a nearby school helps companies carve out a larger profit margin. 4. For example, a local supermarket could use high school students to help with bagging groceries, collecting carts, stocking shelves and potentially even manning the cash registers. 5. The savings from this labour can make a sizeable difference for companies as long as they have simple, manual positions that require little training and schools are willing to offer up students for these monotonous jobs.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop your ideas by being very specific.
- Give a clear example.
- Conclude the paragraph by relating back to the overall essay topic.
1. On the other hand, students will generally not want to do simple, manual labour but work in a more interesting field, where they might be more of a hindrance than a help. 2. A hypothetical example of this would be a student who has a keen interest in a given field, such as film-making, landing an internship with a local television station. 3. In this high-pressured, skilled environment, an experienced employee will have to be charged with training and supervising a student who is unlikely to remain long with the company. 4. This unpaid trainee will probably struggle to make much of a positive difference since the learning curve on skilled work is steep and the consequences for making mistakes can be serious. 5. The student will learn a lot of useful skills but the company should see this as a form of charity, rather than a boon for their bottom line.
- Write another topic sentence with another clear main idea at the end.
- Give an example. I use a hypothetical one because it is difficult to think of a real world one but if you know one, use a specific person.
- Develop the example.
- Keep developing the same example – don’t switch to a new main idea or a new example.
- Conclude the paragraph with a strong statement.
1. In conclusion, compulsory unpaid work for companies usually benefits students as they have a lot to learn and companies must invest in training. 2. These positions are chances for students to become acclimated to the working world and not simply free manual labour.
- Summarise your ideas and repeat your opinion.
- Finish summarising and add a final thought.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?
An increasing number of schools are forcing students to do unpaid internships with companies as a graduation requirement. In my opinion, this measure generally benefits students more than companies.
On the one hand, companies receive free labour. Every company, whether it is an international conglomerate or a small local business, must balance expenses against revenue in hopes of turning a profit. One of the largest operating expenses is labour and having unpaid volunteers from a nearby school helps companies carve out a larger profit margin. For example, a local supermarket could use high school students to help with bagging groceries, collecting carts, stocking shelves and potentially even manning the cash registers. The savings from this labour can make a sizeable difference for companies as long as they have simple, manual positions that require little training and schools are willing to offer up students for these monotonous jobs.
On the other hand, students will generally not want to do simple, manual labour but work in a more interesting field, where they might be more of a hindrance than a help. A hypothetical example of this would be a student who has a keen interest in a given field, such as film-making, landing an internship with a local television station. In this high-pressured, skilled environment, an experienced employee will have to be charged with training and supervising a student who is unlikely to remain long with the company. This unpaid trainee will probably struggle to make much of a positive difference since the learning curve on skilled work is steep and the consequences for making mistakes can be serious. The student will learn a lot of useful skills but the company should see this as a form of charity, rather than a boon for their bottom line.
In conclusion, compulsory unpaid work for companies usually benefits students as they have a lot to learn and companies must invest in training. These positions are chances for students to become acclimated to the working world and not simply free manual labour.
Answers
increasing number more and more
forcing have to do
unpaid internships working for free
graduation requirement have to do to leave high school/graduate
measure generally development usually
receive free labour get unpaid workers
international conglomerate multinational company
small local business neighborhood store/shop/business
balance expenses against revenue balance the books, earn a profit
in hopes of turning a profit in order to make money
operating expenses labour, rent, etc. (set costs)
unpaid volunteers interns
carve out find a way to make
profit margin the amount of money made after expenses
bagging groceries putting food in bags at the supermarket
collecting carts rounding up supermarket carts
stocking shelves putting food on the shelf at a supermarket
manning in charge of
cash registers where you pay in a shop
savings money saved
sizeable difference really important
as long as assuming that
manual positions jobs where you don’t have to think much
little training not much teaching
willing open to
offer up give
monotonous boring
hindrance holds one back
hypothetical imaginary
keen interest very interested in
given field some area
landing an internship getting to be an intern/trainee
local television station small TV studio
high-pressured intense
experienced employee veteran worker
charged with tasked with
supervising watch over
remain long stay there a while
unpaid trainee intern
struggle have difficulty
make much of a positive difference have a good impact on
learning curve on skilled work is steep hard to pick up the job/get good at it
consequences results
making mistakes messing up
serious not a joke
charity helping others
boon benefit
bottom line net profit
compulsory unpaid work required internships
invest in give money to
acclimated get used to
working world employment environment
Pronunciation
Listen and repeat:
ɪnˈkriːsɪŋ ˈnʌmbə
ˈfɔːsɪŋ
ʌnˈpeɪd ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp
ˌgrædjʊˈeɪʃən rɪˈkwaɪəmənt
ˈmɛʒə ˈʤɛnərəli
rɪˈsiːv friː ˈleɪbə
ˌɪntə(ː)ˈnæʃənl kənˈglɒmərɪt
smɔːl ˈləʊkəl ˈbɪznɪs
ˈbæləns ɪksˈpɛnsɪz əˈgɛnst ˈrɛvɪnjuː
ɪn həʊps ɒv ˈtɜːnɪŋ ə ˈprɒfɪt
ˈɒpəreɪtɪŋ ɪksˈpɛnsɪz
ʌnˈpeɪd ˌvɒlənˈtɪəz
kɑːv aʊt
ˈprɒfɪt ˈmɑːʤɪn
ˈbægɪŋ ˈgrəʊsəriz
kəˈlɛktɪŋ kɑːts
ˈstɒkɪŋ ʃɛlvz
ˈmænɪŋ
kæʃ ˈrɛʤɪstəz
ˈseɪvɪŋz
ˈsaɪzəbl ˈdɪfrəns
æz lɒŋ æz
ˈmænjʊəl pəˈzɪʃənz
ˈlɪtl ˈtreɪnɪŋ
ˈwɪlɪŋ
ˈɒfər ʌp
məˈnɒtnəs
ˈhɪndrəns
ˌhaɪpəʊˈθɛtɪkəl
kiːn ˈɪntrɪst
ˈgɪvn fiːld
ˈlændɪŋ ən ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp
ˈləʊkəl ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən ˈsteɪʃən
haɪ-ˈprɛʃəd
ɪksˈpɪərɪənst ˌɛmplɔɪˈiː
ʧɑːʤd wɪð
ˈsjuːpəvaɪzɪŋ
rɪˈmeɪn lɒŋ
ʌnˈpeɪd treɪˈniː
ˈstrʌgl
meɪk mʌʧ ɒv ə ˈpɒzətɪv ˈdɪfrəns
ˈlɜːnɪŋ kɜːv ɒn skɪld wɜːk ɪz stiːp
ˈkɒnsɪkwənsɪz
ˈmeɪkɪŋ mɪsˈteɪks
ˈsɪərɪəs
ˈʧærɪti
buːn
ˈbɒtəm laɪn
kəmˈpʌlsəri ʌnˈpeɪd wɜːk
ɪnˈvɛst ɪn
əˈklaɪmeɪtɪd
ˈwɜːkɪŋ wɜːld
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
An i________________________r of schools are f______________g students to do u_______________________s with companies as a g__________________________t. In my opinion, this m_______________________y benefits students more than companies.
On the one hand, companies r____________________r. Every company, whether it is an i_____________________________e or a s_______________________s, must b______________________________________e i_____________________________t. One of the largest o______________________s is labour and having u_______________________s from a nearby school helps companies c_____________t a larger p__________________n. For example, a local supermarket could use high school students to help with b___________________s, c__________________s, s___________________s and potentially even m___________g the c_________________s. The s_____________s from this labour can make a s____________________e for companies a________________s they have simple, m___________________s that require l________________________g and schools are w_____________g to o____________p students for these m__________________s jobs.
On the other hand, students will generally not want to do simple, manual labour but work in a more interesting field, where they might be more of a h________________e than a help. A h_________________l example of this would be a student who has a k______________t in a g______________d, such as film-making, l_____________________p with a l________________________n. In this h_________________d, skilled environment, an e________________________e will have to be c________________h training and s_________________g a student who is unlikely to r______________g with the company. This u_______________e will probably s_______________e to m_________________________________e since the l______________________________________p and the c__________________s for m____________________s can be s____________s. The student will learn a lot of useful skills but the company should see this as a form of c___________y, rather than a b_______n for their b_________________e.
In conclusion, c____________________________k for companies usually benefits students as they have a lot to learn and companies must i______________n training. These positions are chances for students to become a______________d to the w____________________d and not simply free manual labour.
Listen and check:
Listening Practice
Listen to Shivali Sharma talk about getting an internship at Johnson and Johnson:
Reading Practice
Read an argument against unpaid internships from The Atlantic here:
Speaking Practice
Answer the following question from the real speaking exam:
Studying
- Do you work or study?
- Why are you studying English?
- What will you do after graduating university?
Writing Practice
Answer the related question below about part-time jobs then check with my sample answer:
In many countries, teenagers are encouraged to find part-time jobs. Some think this is a good development while others disagree.
Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
Real Past IELTS Exam
Hi Dave, could you please check this and notify the major errors?
Thanking you in advance,
Nowadays, copious schools advocate students in unpaid internships as an essential portion of their academic curriculum. In my opinion, this has robust advantages for both parties yet students gain more perks than companies in a real comparison.
On one hand, pupils are ought to build a strong foundation in their careers before they commence it officially. Internships undoubtedly support this, even though they are unpaid. During this period, candid learners who exhibit a higher alacrity in working can gain a vast knowledge regarding the subject matters, principals and procedures, rules, and regulations run-through in a firm. Moreover, these short-term employments can assist them to clarify obscure facts regarding their career and also make them decide on the tenacity of themselves for the selected job position. Therefore, internships can back for the assertive decisions in students’ lives in a commendatory way.
On the other hand, companies also simultaneously gain some significant benefits and profits by indulging students to work in certain positions mostly because these placements are unpaid. For instance, if the corporation hires a clerk for a specific task a separate financial allowance should be allocated for wages and extra facilities whereas interns fulfill a similar task without any personal expense, which is highly lucrative to the firm. Furthermore, by providing effective training for students, an organization can gain an eminence and commendations from the industry as well.
In conclusion, comparing the depth of the pluses for each party, it explicitly manifests that, students can wisely utilize these unpaid internship opportunities to reinforce their career after the graduation, which should be immensely laudable as it could lay the strongest basement for their professional lives.
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