Undergraduate / The more time people use the internet, the less time they spend with real human being [10]

According to a recent study, the more time people use the internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Should we worry about the effect this is having on social interaction or should we see the internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities worldwide? What are your views?

In today's society, the Internet has made its way into almost every home. It has found a place in the hearts of many over the decades. With the advent of the latest technologies, now Internet is assessable not only through computers but also through mobile phones, providing an easy and convenient access to the web. In correlation to that, a research has brought to light that the more time people surf the Internet, the lesser is the time they spend with humans. This is certainly something that everyone should worry about. Though admittedly web is a great place for socializing, it can also pose negative impacts on human interactions.

Currently, we have many social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Friendster. These sites are places where we can find and make friends. Besides that, there are also messengers that enable anyone to chat, for instance MSN and Yahoo messenger. A study by the UNICEF shows that social networking websites have been voted as the fastest and easiest method of generating friendship compared to sending letters. Through these websites, we can without difficulty meet new friends and learn about their cultures as well as the traditions in their countries. Apart from that, we can also share our views on global and political issues which definitely open our horizons. To conclude, one can certainly benefit from communicating through Internet as it involves people from all over the world.

Nevertheless, looking from the another perspective, the more people spend their time online communicating with others from any part of the world, undoubtedly, the lesser is the time spent with their families and friends. According to a study done in Malaysia, most parents agree that their children tend to be so enthralled in chatting, that peeling them away from the computer can prove to be a complicated task. Consequently, they lack face to face interaction with family members and friends which will eventually result in them leading sedentary lifestyles and having poor social interaction skills.

Technology always has its positive and negative aspects. It is we who must be rational to analyze what is good and bad. Advisably, we must prepare ourselves well to be able to handle situations with a degree of reason and rationality. In short, we can utilize the Internet to unravel new communication possibilities but at the same time, human interactions must not be neglected.

Writing Feedback / Money spent on the Arts by a government and number of participants in arts. [6]

The pie charts illustrate the amount of money spent on the Arts by a government while the bar graph presents the number of participants in the Arts events in 1995 and 2005.

From the pie charts, it is evident that in 1995, the music division received most of the government's support which was almost 50%. Contrastingly, in 2005, both the music component and the theatre seemed to be receiving approximately 38% each of the government's fund. Nevertheless, there is a rise in the number of people taking part in the event ( 25 000 people ) from 1995 to 2005. Interestingly, the visual arts which obtained about a quarter of the fund in 1995 shrunk to less than two tenth in 2005. In correlation to that, a decrease of about 4% is noted in the number of participants in that event. On the other hand, as the government gave more attention to the literature component in 2005( approximately 12%) compared to that in 1995 ( around 8%) , there is a positive growth of about one third in the support given by the public.

- help me to correct my essay and also to give me ideas on how to present my ideas.. sorry couldnt upload the pie charts.

Writing Feedback / IELTS - Unlimited use of cars may cause many problems. [3]

Unlimited use of cars may cause many problems. What are those problems? In order to reduce the problem, the public should be discouraged to use cars. What are your opinions?

Someone has said it right : cars have indeed become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain , unclad and incomplete. This is the reason the number of cars on the roads is on the rise each year. Undoubtedly, this has caused serious congestion on the roads and longer commuting periods. Surveys reveal that this condition is more likely to worsen in the future. Hence, effective solutions must be achieved in order to lessen the problem of over using cars. Some suggest that the public should be discouraged to use cars. I agree to the aforementioned resolution, provided that those in charge improve the conditions of the public transports, with the government introducing certain policies.

First of all, in order to persuade the public to make use of the public transports frequently, it is important for the authorities to construct more free parks. By so doing, people can drive from their respective homes and finally take the public transport such as bus or the light rail transit (LRT) into the central where they work or study. As a result, they will be able to not only enjoy a more relaxed journey, but also will be able to reduce the traffic jams on the road. Besides that, passengers would prefer to travel in a comfortable condition. So, if companies enhance their services, for instance by keeping their transports clean always, it is more likely that they retain as well as draw more satisfied passengers.

Next, the government should have more tolls along the urban motorways. As a consequence, many would opt to use the public transports as they will be able to save money on their travels. This policy has been successfully implemented in many cities and is certainly effective in reducing the number of cars on the road. Apart from that, by increasing the price of parking permits and restricting the number of car parks in urban areas, undeniably, more car users will abandon their cars in favour of public transports.

To put it in a nutshell, the usage of cars should indeed be trimmed down. Instead, people can choose to use the public transports or even walk if their destinations are only a stone's throw away from their homes. If this happens, grave problems on the road can thus be diminished and all can definitely travel at ease.

Writing Feedback / Should studying subjects that are needed by society be promoted? [5]

Modern societies need specialists in certain fields, but not in others. Some people therefore think that governments should pay university fees for students who study subjects that are needed by society. Those who choose to study less relevant subjects should not receive government funding.

Would the advantages of such an educational policy outweigh the disadvantages?

Nowadays, job opportunities can be found in a myriad of fields. However, the degree of importance of these jobs to society differs from one to the other. In most countries, professions such as doctors, lawyers and accountants are always in high demand whereas people who work in fields related to the Arts, such as music, fashion and design and literature, are considered by many to contribute less to societal development. Hence, a proportion of the society believe that the government should only give financial backing to those who enrol in courses that can allow them to meet the needs of the nation in the near future. However, this begs the question: would such a move be for the greater good or would it prove to be a bane? I, for one, believe that the cons of such a move would far outweigh the pros. I will now state the reasons for my above point of view.

Some people are of the opinion that money makes the world go round and they place high importance on anything that offers monetary gain. Government funding that goes to selected fields that are considered beneficial to the nation would result in some students choosing to further their studies in fields that they are not interested inEven though society will no longer have a lack of specialists in critical fields, the funded students may not be passionate about their jobs and will end up not giving their best to the country.

Moreover, if the country focuses only on critical areas, the other sectors will soon be neglected. For instance, jobs in hotel management are considered less important by some people. Thus, if the above step was taken, the number of graduates who will be available to fill job vacancies in this field will decline in the future. Although such a situation may not seem so serious, it would indeed be a very big blow for the country. This is because the tourism industry usually contributes a lion's share to the country's income. In short, all sectors help the nation in one way or another even though this may not seem to be obvious in some cases.

However, there are some advantages that can be attained if this suggestion were carried out. Firstly, the high job demand in significant fields could be met accordingly. Furthermore, the specialists in fields such as accounting and engineering will be in abundance in the future and this will lead to the progress of a country as a whole. This will be especially evident in Third World countries such as Namibia, Kenya and Indonesia.

In conclusion, it is obvious that such an educational policy will only backfire on the nation. It is indeed true that such a step would bring about some advantages. However, the disadvantages, although not evident now, will certainly bring distinct negative side effects in the future.

Writing Feedback / "Those who use drugs should be automatically sentenced to time in prison" - IELTS [3]

Drug addiction is becoming an increasing problem. In order to reduce this problem, anyone caught using drugs should be automatically sentenced to time in prison. Do you agree or disagree?

Today, we no longer fear any contagious diseases, kudos to modern technology and medical advancement. However, it is the contagious behaviors such as addiction and the wrong abuse of drugs that continue to terrorize our society, especially the young ones. It is undeniable that drug addiction is indeed on the rise and effective solutions must be taken in order to trim down the number of drug addicts. Some suggest that it would be better if those caught red-handed using drugs be imprisoned. In my opinion, I disagree to the aforementioned resolution due to the reasons that I will put forward below.

First of all, I do agree that some of the addicts do turn over a new leaf at the prison. Nevertheless, once they return to the society, they tend to relapse and get involved in drugs again. This is because, in the prisons, there would not be any programs or talks that can enlighten and transform them as well as change their perspectives towards drugs. As such, all the efforts of putting them behind bars are simply in vain. Instead, if the addicts are sent to rehabilitation centres, they will treated for their addiction. On top of that, counselors can provide them with counseling and motivation to help them build a new life.

On the other hand, some argue that if the drug addicts are not given intense punishment, they will not change and continue to misuse drugs. Nonetheless, I believe that this is mainly due to the society not accepting the prisoners as a part of them. If only the society or the people surrounding the addicts give them a second chance, I am sure that they will never abuse drugs once more. The support alone is not sufficient. They can also report to the concerned parties about any misuse of drugs at the residential areas. Thus, with more public awareness, drug abuse can be certainly be reduced and eventually brought to a halt without having to put the addicts into jail.

Everyone of us deserves a second chance in life. After all, we are human beings and we learn from our mistakes. Referring to the consequentalist theory, the society should allow leniency for people to experiment and learn, as long as it is on their own expenses. To put it in a nutshell, I believe that sending the drug addicts to rehabilitation centres acts as a beacon of hope for the affected individuals and is also a crucial step in helping them redeem their lives and rejuvenate their lost hopes for a better future rather than sending them to prison.

Writing Feedback / Is image more powerful than the written word? - ielts [5]

In the modern world, the image (photograph or film) is becoming a more powerful way of communication than the written word. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

"A picture is worth a thousand words" is a popular maxim that is being used for a very long time. This strongly depicts the power of images in conveying messages, ideas, or opinions to people. Nevertheless, the importance of written word can never be denied as it is also another way of communication that is commonly used. Hence, I agree only to certain degree that in today's world, image serves as a more effective means of communication.

Firstly, pictures can influence the way people think. For example, nowadays horrendous images are displayed on the cigarette boxes to illustrate the consequences of smoking. As a result, statistics show a slight reduction in the number of smokers, indicating that they realize the effects of the negative habit. Not only that, the magnificent photograph captured by Kevin Carter, which portrayed a starving Sudanese child struck by extreme poverty has successfully highlighted the plight faced by the citizens in Sudan. Apart from that, images are also widely used in newspapers, magazines and advertisements. Thus, it is undeniable that images in the absence of words can obviously claim the attraction of many.

Looking from another perspective, written words are also vital in order to spread across certain messages. With only pictures, everyone is left to their own interpretation on how they perceive the images. Nonetheless, this is different when words are used to explain what the illustration is about. Furthermore, the primary way of educating students is also by this way. Academic textbooks these days are laden with words besides pictures to guide the readers to comprehend better.

To conclude, both images and words go hand in hand and one cannot wholly emphasise on only one aspect, either images or words. Hence, for a more meaningful communication, these two elements have their respective roles to play: image to exemplify and words to describe a particular subject.