This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay from the real exam on the topic of traveling to other countries.

Travel is a really common topic for both writing and speaking so try to learn and practice some of the vocabulary below.

Remember to check out my online courses and corrections and my Patreon as well.

Dave

Before reading, listen to the audio to improve your listening skills:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Traveling to Other Countries

Many people today are choosing to travel to other countries.

Why is this happening?

Is this a positive or negative development?

Real Past IELTS Exam

More and more people today are choosing to travel internationally. This positive development is mainly because of a rise in middle class income coupled with advances in aviation.

People today can afford to travel as it has become more convenient. The last half century has seen wages in both developed and developing companies climb with the concomitant expansion of the global middle class. Workers have the disposable income to travel that they lacked in the past. This has been complemented with safer airplanes so individuals are not afraid to fly. Airfares have also become cheaper as companies like Boeing produce more efficient planes, competition intensifies between competing airlines, and the supply more than meets demand for flights. These factors combined have spawned a golden age of international travel.

Looking at the opportunity in perspective, it is hard to see the advent of international travel as anything less than one of mankind’s greatest achievements. For the entirety of human history, most people lived and died near to where they were born. Anyone who wanted to travel to another country had to possess enourmous wealth, time, and courage. Today, the average employee can save up and travel to see the wonders of the Rennaissance in Southern Europe, the vast monuments to history and modernity in China, or explore any other corner of Earth that has piqued their interest. This is an unprecedented opportunity unavailable to past generations.

In conclusion, international travel is a byproduct of the modern age and we should all be grateful for its possibility. There are clear environmental drawbacks but those should not blind people to its benefits taken as a whole.

Analysis

1. More and more people today are choosing to travel internationally. 2. This positive development is mainly because of a rise in middle class income coupled with advances in aviation.

1. Paraphrase the overall topic for the essay.
2. Write your opinion.

1. People today can afford to travel as it has become more convenient. 2. The last half century has seen wages in both developed and developing companies climb with the concomitant expansion of the global middle class. 3. Workers have the disposable income to travel that they lacked in the past. 4. This has been complemented with safer airplanes so individuals are not afraid to fly. 5. Airfares have also become cheaper as companies like Boeing produce more efficient planes, competition intensifies between competing airlines, and the supply more than meets demand for flights. 6. These factors combined have spawned a golden age of international travel.

1. Write a clear topic sentence with your opinion at the end.
2. Begin to develop your main idea. I start with a further explanation.
3. Continue developing that idea.
4. Here I add another reason that is related.
5. I include another related reason – try to make your reasons build to support your main idea for the whole paragraph.
6. Conclude the paragraph by relating it back to the main question.

1. Looking at the opportunity in perspective, it is hard to see the advent of international travel as anything less than one of mankind’s greatest achievements. 2. For the entirety of human history, most people lived and died near to where they were born. 3. Anyone who wanted to travel to another country had to possess enourmous wealth, time, and courage. 4. Today, the average employee can save up and travel to see the wonders of the Rennaissance in Southern Europe, the vast monuments to history and modernity in China, or explore any other corner of Earth that has piqued their interest. 5. This is an unprecedented opportunity unavailable to past generations.

1. Write another topic sentence with another clear main idea at the end.
2. Here I compare with the past to make my point stronger.
3. I then develop the comparison.
4. Use specific examples.
5. Conclude the paragraph with a strong statement.

1. In conclusion, international travel is a byproduct of the modern age and we should all be grateful for its possibility. 2. There are clear environmental drawbacks but those should not blind people to its benefits taken as a whole.

1. Repeat your opinion to be 100% clear.
2. Include a final detail or thought at the end for full marks from the IELTS examiner.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean?

More and more people today are choosing to travel internationally. This positive development is mainly because of a rise in middle class income coupled with advances in aviation.

People today can afford to travel as it has become more convenient. The last half century has seen wages in both developed and developing companies climb with the concomitant expansion of the global middle class. Workers have the disposable income to travel that they lacked in the past. This has been complemented with safer airplanes so individuals are not afraid to fly. Airfares have also become cheaper as companies like Boeing produce more efficient planes, competition intensifies between competing airlines, and the supply more than meets demand for flights. These factors combined have spawned a golden age of international travel.

Looking at the opportunity in perspective, it is hard to see the advent of international travel as anything less than one of mankind’s greatest achievements. For the entirety of human history, most people lived and died near to where they were born. Anyone who wanted to travel to another country had to possess enourmous wealth, time, and courage. Today, the average employee can save up and travel to see the wonders of the Rennaissance in Southern Europe, the vast monuments to history and modernity in China, or explore any other corner of Earth that has piqued their interest. This is an unprecedented opportunity unavailable to past generations.

In conclusion, international travel is a byproduct of the modern age and we should all be grateful for its possibility. There are clear environmental drawbacks but those should not blind people to its benefits taken as a whole.

Answers

more and more ever-increasing

travel internationally go abroad, to another country

middle class income not rich or poor

coupled with combine with

aviation.flying

afford can pay for

convenient easy, suitable

wages salary

climb increase

concomitant expansion related increase

global around the world

disposable income money to spare

lacked didn’t have

complemented with combined with

Boeing a company that makes airplanes

efficient planes planes that don’t use too much fuel, lighter

competition intensifies between competing airlines more and more fighting between companies

supply more than meets demand there are more planes than people wanting to travel so the prices are lower

spawned created

golden age great time

looking at the opportunity in perspective taken as a whole

advent beginning of

mankind’s greatest achievements best thing people have donw

entirety all of

possess have

courage bravery

average employee most people

save up set aside money for

Rennaissance a period of flourishing arts and science from 1400 – 1600 in Europe

Southern Europe Italy, Spain, Greece, France, etc.

vast monuments to history and modernity big works from the past and new ones

corner of Earth part of the planet

piqued their interest makes them curious

unprecedented opportunity never been seen chance

past generations ancestors

byproduct result of

grateful feel thankful for

drawbacks disadvantages

blind can’t see

taken as a whole overall

Pronunciation

Listen and repeat:

mɔːr ænd mɔː 
ˈtrævl ˌɪntə(ː)ˈnæʃənli
ˈmɪdl klɑːs ˈɪnkʌm 
ˈkʌpld wɪð 
ˌeɪvɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n.
əˈfɔːd 
kənˈviːniənt
ˈweɪʤɪz 
klaɪm 
kənˈkɒmɪtənt ɪksˈpænʃən 
ˈgləʊbəl 
dɪsˈpəʊzəbl ˈɪnkʌm 
lækt 
ˈkɒmplɪmɛntɪd wɪð 
ˈbəʊɪŋ 
ɪˈfɪʃənt pleɪnz
ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃən ɪnˈtɛnsɪfaɪz bɪˈtwiːn kəmˈpiːtɪŋ ˈeəlaɪnz
səˈplaɪ mɔː ðæn miːts dɪˈmɑːnd 
spɔːnd 
ˈgəʊldən eɪʤ 
ˈlʊkɪŋ æt ði ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti ɪn pəˈspɛktɪv
ˈædvənt 
mænˈkaɪndz ˈgreɪtɪst əˈʧiːvmənts
ɪnˈtaɪəti 
pəˈzɛs 
ˈkʌrɪʤ
ˈævərɪʤ ˌɛmplɔɪˈiː 
seɪv ʌp 
Rennaissance 
ˈsʌðən ˈjʊərəp
vɑːst ˈmɒnjʊmənts tuː ˈhɪstəri ænd mɒˈdɜːnɪti 
ˈkɔːnər ɒv ɜːθ 
piːkt ðeər ˈɪntrɪst
ʌnˈprɛsɪdəntɪd ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti 
pɑːst ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃənz
ˈbaɪˌprɒdʌkt 
ˈgreɪtfʊl 
ˈdrɔːbæks 
blaɪnd 
ˈteɪkən æz ə həʊl

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

M__________________e people today are choosing to t______________________y. This positive development is mainly because of a rise in m___________________________e c__________________h advances in a__________n.

People today can a_________d to travel as it has become more c______________t. The last half century has seen w______s in both developed and developing companies c______b with the c_________________n of the g_________l middle class. Workers have the d__________________e to travel that they l_________d in the past. This has been c___________________________h safer airplanes so individuals are not afraid to fly. Airfares have also become cheaper as companies like B_________g produce more e___________________s, c______________________________________________s, and the s____________________d for flights. These factors combined have s____________d a g_____________e of international travel.

L_______________________________________e, it is hard to see the a___________t of international travel as anything less than one of m________________________________________s. For the e__________y of human history, most people lived and died near to where they were born. Anyone who wanted to travel to another country had to p___________s enourmous wealth, time, and c____________e. Today, the a______________________e can s________p and travel to see the wonders of the R___________________e in S_______________________e, the v_____________________________________y in China, or explore any other c_________________h that has p________________________t. This is an u______________________________y unavailable to p______________________s.

In conclusion, international travel is a b_____________t of the modern age and we should all be g___________l for its possibility. There are clear environmental d_____________s but those should not b_________d people to its benefits t____________________e.

Listen and check:

Listening Practice

Watch the travel guide for London below:

Reading Practice

You can also read about the environmental cost of international travel below, which would also make for a strong argument:

https://www.ecowatch.com/environmental-cost-of-air-travel-2644915801.html

Speaking Practice

Answer the speaking questions below from the real IELTS speaking exam:

Deforestation

1. Does your country have a lot of forests?
2. What threats are posed by deforestation?
3. Are there alternatives to cutting down forests?
4. What can the average citizen do to help combat this situation?
5. What will the future of the Earth’s forests look like?

Writing Practice

Write about the topic below then check with my sample answer:

Some believe that tourism does more to create tension between countries rather than helping individuals better understand other cultures.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Real Past IELTS Exam

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Tourism and Culture (Real Past IELTS Tests/Exams)