This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of studying science from the real IELTS exam.
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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Studying Science (Real Past IELTS Exam/Test)
More and more students at university today are not choosing to study science.
Why is this happening?
What are the effects of this?
Real Past IELTS Exam/Test
Fewer undergraduates today than ever before are opting to pursue careers in science. This is because business related subjects offer greater financial security and this will result in less overall talent in scientific fields.
The main reason that science majors are dwindling is the lure of business. Studying a scientific subject such as biology or chemistry requires intense specification, long hours in labs, and unstable future career options. Business related majors, on the other hand, are guaranteed an easier path to a good salary and the esteem of others. Good evidence of this comes in the form of all the majors related to commerce rapidly growing in popularity including marketing, finance, corporate law, banking, and economics. Parents often put pressure on their children to major in these subjects to secure a minimum level of financial success and raise the ceiling on future earning potential.
The impact will be felt in an overall decrease of talent in science. In the past, science tended to attract the best and brightest students who saw it as a path to personal wealth, glory and the public good. A good example of this is in the decades leading up to World War 2 when advances in medicine and technology of bright individuals like Marie Curie, Alexander Fleming, and Albert Einstein made them immortal role models. Today, our role models are more likely to be businessmen of a sort such as Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Donald Trump. This is not only evidence of the societal shift but also portends fewer great figures in science going forward.
In conclusion, business has siphoned off potential science majors and this will result in fewer high quality scientists. It is important to highlight the achievements of scientists and denigrate businessmen in order to curb this alarming trend.
Analysis
1. Fewer undergraduates today than ever before are opting to pursue careers in science. 2. This is because business related subjects offer greater financial security and this will result in less overall talent in scientific fields.
- Paraphrase the overall topic for the essay first of all.
- Write a clear opinion.
1. The main reason that science majors are dwindling is the lure of business. 2. Studying a scientific subject such as biology or chemistry requires intense specification, long hours in labs, and unstable future career options. 3. Business related majors, on the other hand, are guaranteed an easier path to a good salary and the esteem of others. 4. Good evidence of this comes in the form of all the majors related to commerce rapidly growing in popularity including marketing, finance, corporate law, banking, and economics. 5. Parents often put pressure on their children to major in these subjects to secure a minimum level of financial success and raise the ceiling on future earning potential.
- Write a topic sentence with a main idea at the end. Keep this sentence short and simply.
- Begin to develop your main idea. Here I start with a counter-example.
- Then I transition to why business is so appealing.
- I develop the appeal of business.
- Finally, I add another detail to support my main idea – not a new main idea!
1. The impact will be felt in an overall decrease of talent in science. 2. In the past, science tended to attract the best and brightest students who saw it as a path to personal wealth, glory and the public good. 3. A good example of this is in the decades leading up to World War 2 when advances in medicine and technology of bright individuals like Marie Curie, Alexander Fleming, and Albert Einstein made them immortal role models. 4. Today, our role models are more likely to be businessmen of a sort such as Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Donald Trump. 5. This is not only evidence of the societal shift but also portends fewer great figures in science going forward.
- Write another topic sentence with a main idea for the other side.
- Explain your main idea, if necessary.
- Use specific examples as I do here.
- Develop those examples.
- Conclude your paragraph by relating it back to the main topic.
1. In conclusion, business has siphoned off potential science majors and this will result in fewer high quality scientists. 2. It is important to highlight the achievements of scientists and denigrate businessmen in order to curb this alarming trend.
- Repeat your opinion.
- Add in a final detail/thought for full marks from the IELTS examiner.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?
Fewer undergraduates today than ever before are opting to pursue careers in science. This is because business related subjects offer greater financial security and this will result in less overall talent in scientific fields.
The main reason that science majors are dwindling is the lure of business. Studying a scientific subject such as biology or chemistry requires intense specification, long hours in labs, and unstable future career options. Business related majors, on the other hand, are guaranteed an easier path to a good salary and the esteem of others. Good evidence of this comes in the form of all the majors related to commerce rapidly growing in popularity including marketing, finance, corporate law, banking, and economics. Parents often put pressure on their children to major in these subjects to secure a minimum level of financial success and raise the ceiling on future earning potential.
The impact will be felt in an overall decrease of talent in science. In the past, science tended to attract the best and brightest students who saw it as a path to personal wealth, glory and the public good. A good example of this is in the decades leading up to World War 2 when advances in medicine and technology of bright individuals like Marie Curie, Alexander Fleming, and Albert Einstein made them immortal role models. Today, our role models are more likely to be businessmen of a sort such as Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Donald Trump. This is not only evidence of the societal shift but also portends fewer great figures in science going forward.
In conclusion, business has siphoned off potential science majors and this will result in fewer high quality scientists. It is important to highlight the achievements of scientists and denigrate businessmen in order to curb this alarming trend.
Answers
than ever before greater compared to
opting choosing
pursue careers major in/study
offer greater financial security more stable career
result in end up with
dwindling decreasing
lure attraction/appeal
specification becoming focused on one area, opposite of a generalist
labs where scientists work (laboratories)
unstable future career options uncertain job prospects
guaranteed will definitely get
easier path fewer obstacles/challenges
esteem opinion
good evidence strong support
commerce related to buying/selling/trading
marketing advertisting
finance related to money
corporate law becoming a lawyer specialising in companies
put pressure on force
major verb of major (choose to study)
secure a minimum level of financial success guarantee a decent paycheck
raise the ceiling on future earning potential allow for the possibility of big salaries
impact will be felt will feel the effect of
tended to were likely to
best and brightest smartest
path to personal wealth way to get rich
glory admiration and honor
the public good for all of society
leading up to right before
bright individuals smart people
immortal role models legends
of a sort kind of
societal shift change in thinking
portends a negative prediction
going forward into the future
siphoned off take away from
highlight focus on
denigrate lower/insult
curb slow down
alarming trend troubling development
Pronunciation
ðæn ˈɛvə bɪˈfɔː
ˈɒptɪŋ
pəˈsjuː kəˈrɪəz
ˈɒfə ˈgreɪtə faɪˈnænʃəl sɪˈkjʊərɪti
rɪˈzʌlt ɪn
ˈdwɪndlɪŋ
ljʊə
ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən
læbz
ʌnˈsteɪbl ˈfjuːʧə kəˈrɪər ˈɒpʃənz
ˌgærənˈtiːd
ˈiːzɪə pɑːθ
ɪsˈtiːm
gʊd ˈɛvɪdəns
ˈkɒmə(ː)s
ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ
faɪˈnæns
ˈkɔːpərɪt lɔː
pʊt ˈprɛʃər ɒn
ˈmeɪʤə
sɪˈkjʊər ə ˈmɪnɪməm ˈlɛvl ɒv faɪˈnænʃəl səkˈsɛs
reɪz ðə ˈsiːlɪŋ ɒn ˈfjuːʧər ˈɜːnɪŋ pəʊˈtɛnʃəl
ˈɪmpækt wɪl biː fɛlt
ˈtɛndɪd tuː
bɛst ænd ˈbraɪtɪst
pɑːθ tuː ˈpɜːsnl wɛlθ
ˈglɔːri
ðə ˈpʌblɪk gʊd
ˈliːdɪŋ ʌp tuː
braɪt ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlz
ɪˈmɔːtl rəʊl ˈmɒdlz
ɒv ə sɔːt
səˈsaɪətl ʃɪft
pɔːˈtɛndz
ˈgəʊɪŋ ˈfɔːwəd
ˈsaɪfənd ɒf
ˈhaɪˌlaɪt
ˈdɛnɪgreɪt
kɜːb
əˈlɑːmɪŋ trɛnd
Listen and repeat:
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks in your head or on a piece of paper:
Fewer undergraduates today t___________________e are o________g to p_________________s in science. This is because business related subjects o_________________________________y and this will r_____________n less overall talent in scientific fields.
The main reason that science majors are d_____________g is the l______e of business. Studying a scientific subject such as biology or chemistry requires intense s______________n, long hours in l____s, and u______________________________s. Business related majors, on the other hand, are g___________d an e________h to a good salary and the e________m of others. G_______________e of this comes in the form of all the majors related to c_____________e rapidly growing in popularity including m___________g, f_____________e, c__________________w, banking, and economics. Parents often p________________n their children to m_____r in these subjects to s________________________________________________s and r_______________________________________________l.
The i_____________________________t in an overall decrease of talent in science. In the past, science t__________________o attract the b____________________________t students who saw it as a p___________________________________h, g___________y and t___________________d. A good example of this is in the decades l_________________o World War 2 when advances in medicine and technology of b______________________s like Marie Curie, Alexander Fleming, and Albert Einstein made them i________________________s. Today, our role models are more likely to be businessmen o_____________t such as Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Donald Trump. This is not only evidence of the s_______________t but also p________________s fewer great figures in science g_______________d.
In conclusion, business has s_________________f potential science majors and this will result in fewer high quality scientists. It is important to h______________t the achievements of scientists and d______________e businessmen in order to c_______b this a_____________________d.
Listen and check:
Listening Practice
Listen to a well-known scientist on this topic and get some ideas:
Reading Practice
Read a counterpoint here from The Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/college-not-job-prep/597487/
Speaking Practice
Answer the following questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Science
- Were you good at science when you were in school?
- What was your favorite scientific subject?
- How do you use science in your life now?
- Are science majors common in your country?
Writing Practice
Answer the following question below then read my sample answer:
Some people believe that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business, and the academic world. Others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be shared freely.
Discuss both these views and then give your own opinion.
Real Past IELTS Test/Exam
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