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This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay from the real IELTS exam related to the topic of old people and exercise.
It is a 2-part question so you must answer both questions fully, in separate paragraphs.
Remember to learn more about my Patreon essays here, my online courses here and my writing corrections here.
Dave
Before reading, listen to the audio and take notes:
IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Old People & Exercise (Real Past IELTS Exam)
Even though doctors advise old people to get more exercise, many old people do not get enough.
What are the reasons for this?
What are some possible solutions for this?
Real Past IELTS Exam
Many elderly people today, despite recommendations from doctors, do not get adequate exercise. I believe this is largely related to their upbringing and simple psychology, while the best solutions augment existing remedies.
The most basic sources of this problem are historical and psychological. Many old people today grew up in a period when exercise was not ubiquitous. Gyms in schools and as private businesses are a more recent development so they have not become ingrained habits for past generations. Moreover, men may have experience playing a sport but female athletics were historically underfunded and even banned in many nations, which has an effect on elderly women in particular. This history intermingles with normal human psychology. People are naturally embarrassed to stand out or appear foolish in public. Feeling self-conscious is an initial barrier that prevents many elderly from taking up a new sport or going to the gym for the first time.
The most efficacious solutions involve better accommodating the elderly. One way to do this would be to build more parks for exercise. In some East Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, they have been building both small and large, rural and urban parks with basic exercise equipment for decades. They are easy to use, common and the elderly have become acclimated to them. Many more elderly would exercise if there was an expansion and replication of these successful policies. Another related fix would be to build more fitness centres. This may not have a huge impact at the moment, because gym members tend to be younger, but as a new generation of old people rises up, these centres will become more important and allow governments to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach.
In conclusion, there are both historic and fundamentally human reasons for why old people do not exercise today. In my opinion, the solutions are not novel but would clearly lead to improved health for the elderly.
Analysis
1. Many elderly people today, despite recommendations from doctors, do not get adequate exercise. 2. I believe this is largely related to their upbringing and simple psychology, while the best solutions augment existing remedies.
- Paraphrase the overall topic of the essay.
- Clearly answer both questions. My answers are complete but you don’t have to fully include your main ideas here.
1. The most basic sources of this problem are historical and psychological. 2. Many old people today grew up in a period when exercise was not ubiquitous. 3. Gyms in schools and as private businesses are a more recent development so they have not become ingrained habits for past generations. 4. Moreover, men may have experience playing a sport but female athletics were historically underfunded and even banned in many nations, which has an effect on elderly women in particular. 5. This history intermingles with normal human psychology. 6. People are naturally embarrassed to stand out or appear foolish in public. 7. Feeling self-conscious is an initial barrier that prevents many elderly from taking up a new sport or going to the gym for the first time.
- Write a topic sentence with your main ideas at the end. This question asks for reasons (plural) so you must have at least 2. More than 2 would be difficult to develop fully.
- Explain or give background on your main idea.
- Develop your main idea.
- Fully extend or add a related idea.
- Transition to your second reason.
- Explain your second reason.
- Develop it as much as possible.
1. The most efficacious solutions involve better accommodating the elderly. 2. One way to do this would be to build more parks for exercise. 3. In some East Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, they have been building both small and large, rural and urban parks with basic exercise equipment for decades. 4. They are easy to use, common and the elderly have become acclimated to them. 5. Many more elderly would exercise if there was an expansion and replication of these successful policies. 6. Another related fix would be to build more fitness centres. 7. This may not have a huge impact at the moment, because gym members tend to be younger, but as a new generation of old people rises up, these centres will become more important and allow governments to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach.
- Write another topic sentence with a new clear main idea at the end. You also need 2 solutions because the question asks for solutions (plural).
- Explain your main idea.
- Use specific examples to support your opinion fully.
- Draw out the results of your examples.
- Make your point fully clear and relate it back to overall question.
- Transition to your other solution.
- Develop that solution as fully as possible too.
1. In conclusion, there are both historic and fundamentally human reasons for why old people do not exercise today. 2. In my opinion, the solutions are not novel but would clearly lead to improved health for the elderly.
- Repeat your opinion.
- Fully summarise your opinion and make a strong concluding statement.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Figure them out from the context of the sentence:
Many elderly people today, despite recommendations from doctors, do not get adequate exercise. I believe this is largely related to their upbringing and simple psychology, while the best solutions augment existing remedies.
The most basic sources of this problem are historical and psychological. Many old people today grew up in a period when exercise was not ubiquitous. Gyms in schools and as private businesses are a more recent development so they have not become ingrained habits for past generations. Moreover, men may have experience playing a sport but female athletics were historically underfunded and even banned in many nations, which has an effect on elderly women in particular. This history intermingles with normal human psychology. People are naturally embarrassed to stand out or appear foolish in public. Feeling self-conscious is an initial barrier that prevents many elderly from taking up a new sport or going to the gym for the first time.
The most efficacious solutions involve better accommodating the elderly. One way to do this would be to build more parks for exercise. In some East Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, they have been building both small and large, rural and urban parks with basic exercise equipment for decades. They are easy to use, common and the elderly have become acclimated to them. Many more elderly would exercise if there was an expansion and replication of these successful policies. Another related fix would be to build more fitness centres. This may not have a huge impact at the moment, because gym members tend to be younger, but as a new generation of old people rises up, these centres will become more important and allow governments to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach.
In conclusion, there are both historic and fundamentally human reasons for why older people do not exercise today. In my opinion, the solutions are not novel but would clearly lead to improved health for the elderly.
Answers
elderly people old people
despite recommendations from doctors regardless of what doctor’s advise
adequate enough
largely mostly
upbringing how they are raised
simple psychology basic human nature
augment existing remedies extend already present solutions
most basic sources foundation of
historical from history
grew up raised
period time in the past
ubiquitous common
more recent development happened in the last several decades
ingrained habits fixed habits/routines
past generations old people
female athletics women doing sports
underfunded not enough money for
banned not allowed
in particular especially
intermingles combines with
naturally embarrassed unsurprisingly ashamed
stand out noticeable, conspicuous
appear foolish in public look silly in front of people
feeling self-conscious know others are watching them
initial barrier stops them at the beginning
prevents stops
taking up starting to do
for the first time initially
efficacious solutions effection remedies
better accommodating make them more comfortable
one way to do this would be a possible method is
rural countryside
urban cities
basic exercise equipment simple machines for working out
decades many years
common ubiquitous
acclimated getting used to
expansion more and more
replication repeated
successful policies ideas that worked
related fix similiar remedy
fitness centres gyms
huge impact large effect
tend usually
rises up ascend
proactive not reacting, acting first
reactive acting in response
approach method
fundamentally human reasons related to human nature
novel new
clearly lead to improved health definitely result in better health
Pronunciation
Listen and repeat:
ˈɛldəli ˈpiːpl
dɪsˈpaɪt ˌrɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃənz frɒm ˈdɒktəz
ˈædɪkwɪt
ˈlɑːʤli
ˈʌpˌbrɪŋɪŋ
ˈsɪmpl saɪˈkɒləʤi
ˈɔːgmənt ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈrɛmɪdiz
məʊst ˈbeɪsɪk ˈsɔːsɪz
hɪsˈtɒrɪkəl
gruː ʌp
ˈpɪərɪəd
ju(ː)ˈbɪkwɪtəs
mɔː ˈriːsnt dɪˈvɛləpmənt
ɪnˈgreɪnd ˈhæbɪts
pɑːst ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃənz
ˈfiːmeɪl æθˈlɛtɪks
ˈʌndə ˈfʌndɪd
bænd
ɪn pəˈtɪkjʊlə
ˌɪntə(ː)ˈmɪŋglz
ˈnæʧrəli ɪmˈbærəst
stænd aʊt
əˈpɪə ˈfuːlɪʃ ɪn ˈpʌblɪk
ˈfiːlɪŋ sɛlf-ˈkɒnʃəs
ɪˈnɪʃəl ˈbærɪə
prɪˈvɛnts
ˈteɪkɪŋ ʌp
fɔː ðə fɜːst taɪm
ˌɛfɪˈkeɪʃəs səˈluːʃənz
ˈbɛtər əˈkɒmədeɪtɪŋ
wʌn weɪ tuː duː ðɪs wʊd biː
ˈrʊərəl
ˈɜːbən
ˈbeɪsɪk ˈɛksəsaɪz ɪˈkwɪpmənt
ˈdɛkeɪdz
ˈkɒmən
əˈklaɪmeɪtɪd
ɪksˈpænʃən
ˌrɛplɪˈkeɪʃən
səkˈsɛsfʊl ˈpɒlɪsiz
rɪˈleɪtɪd fɪks
ˈfɪtnɪs ˈsɛntəz
hjuːʤ ˈɪmpækt
tɛnd
ˈraɪzɪz ʌp
prəʊˈæktɪv
ri(ː)ˈæktɪv
əˈprəʊʧ
ˌfʌndəˈmɛntli ˈhjuːmən ˈriːznz
ˈnɒvəl
ˈklɪəli liːd tuː ɪmˈpruːvd hɛlθ
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
Many e___________________e today, d______________________________________s, do not get a______________e exercise. I believe this is l_____________y related to their u______________g and s_____________________y, while the best solutions a_________________________s.
The m______________________s of this problem are h_______________l and psychological. Many old people today g____________p in a p____________d when exercise was not u_______________s. Gyms in schools and as private businesses are a m_______________________t so they have not become i______________________s for p___________________s. Moreover, men may have experience playing a sport but f______________________s were historically u_____________________d and even b_____________d in many nations, which has an effect on elderly women i__________________r. This history i__________________s with normal human psychology. People are n_____________________d to s______________t or a____________________c. F_____________________s is an i__________________r that p__________s many elderly from t______________p a new sport or going to the gym f____________________e.
The most e________________________s involve b________________________g the elderly. O______________________________e to build more parks for exercise. In some East Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, they have been building both small and large, r________l and u________n parks with b_________________________________t for d_____________s. They are easy to use, c___________n and the elderly have become a_______________d to them. Many more elderly would exercise if there was an e________________n and r___________________n of these s________________________s. Another r______________x would be to build more f____________________s. This may not have a h_________________t at the moment, because gym members t________d to be younger, but as a new generation of old people r__________p, these centres will become more important and allow governments to take a p_______________e, rather than r_____________e, a________________h.
In conclusion, there are both historic and f____________________s for why older people do not exercise today. In my opinion, the solutions are not n__________l but would c____________________________h for the elderly.
Listen and check:
Listening Practice
Watch below about some of the parks I reference in Vietnam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIgrmB42pTU
There’s no talking in that video, so you can practice your listening with a BBC London video:
Reading Practice
Read about some studies related to how important exercise is for old people below:
Speaking Practice
Answer the following questions from the real IELTS speaking test:
Running Read my sample answer here.
Do you like running?
When was the last time you went for a run?
Do you like to watch running competions on TV?
Is your hometown a good place for running?
Real IELTS Speaking Exam
Writing Practice
Write about the following related topic (retirement) then check with my sample answer:
Some think that governments should support retired people financially while others believe they should take care of themselves.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Real Past IELTS Exam
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It has been often seen that elderly people are asked to take some physical activities by health workers, but they could not adhere to their advice, as they do not possess much strength in their bodies. This essay will discuss the causes and solutions to this problem. Undoubtedly, medical officials advise the senior people to take exercise, to keep themselves fit. However, the majority of the time could not do these physical movements due to age-related weaknesses and diseases. For instance, due to old age, bones get weaker, and moreover, most people lead a sedentary lifestyle throughout their lives, which… Read more »
Two spelling errors including: ubiquitous which is written ubiquitious as a synonym for common – in vocabulary section
female athletes which is written athletics
Thanks for spotting that first typo – I will update it!
The second one is not a typo – I mean to use athletics as a paraphrase!
Hi Dave! Thank you for this material! It is very helpful.
I found a little mistake here: reactive acting – in reSponse
Thanks so much for pointing that out – I’ll fix it!
Hello, Dave. Could I ask you about the next thing? Can I write answer about situation in my country? In some topics I have ideas about situation in global approach. But in some cases for me is more comfortable to write about Russia. Because in the other countries it can be the diametrally reasons why older people are not involved in the everyday sports activities. _______________________________________________ Many people know regular exercise is an essential contribution to the health and long life. But not enough older people engage in regular physical activity. I believe that in my country, in Russia, it… Read more »
Hi Kate!
You should absolutely write about Russia! Most students can think of the best, most specific answers about their own country and it will not hurt your score at all!
Your example about the USSR above is amazing – do more of that.
Ok! Thank you for answer.
Your site is amazing!
No problem!