IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay Questions
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Write about the following topic:
Governments should provide everyone with free healthcare.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Some people argue that governments should be responsible for covering their citizens’ healthcare costs. I wholeheartedly agree with this view because free healthcare makes society more equal and improves health outcomes.
First of all, universal healthcare creates more social equality. In countries without universal healthcare, such as the United States, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds often avoid seeking medical care due to the prohibitive costs involved. This makes society unequal. However, when financial barriers to healthcare services are removed, individuals gain equal access to quality healthcare regardless of their financial status. This ensures that the most vulnerable members of society are able to receive essential medical attention and preventive care, which is a basic human right.
Free healthcare also improves the health of the general population. When people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have to pay for healthcare services, they are more likely to delay treatment or not seek treatment at all. In contrast, when healthcare is provided free by governments, people are more willing to make appointments with their doctor. These appointments may uncover the existence of health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which can then be properly treated by the doctor. By enabling the early detection of such chronic conditions through free healthcare, governments improve the general health of their citizens, which can even lower the costs of the healthcare system over time as fewer and fewer people require ongoing care for chronic conditions.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that governments should ensure that all of their citizens have access to free healthcare. It creates more equality in society and leads to better health outcomes at the population level.
Write about the following topic:
There should be a special tax on sugary drinks to make them more expensive and discourage people from consuming them.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Some people believe that sugary drinks should be subject to a special tax in order to reduce their consumption. I agree with this approach because it would improve health outcomes and generate additional revenue, which could then be spent on health-related initiatives.
Firstly, implementing a special tax on sugary drinks would benefit the health of the general population. High sugar intake from these drinks has been unequivocally linked to health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and dental problems. By raising the cost of these beverages through taxation, consumption and therefore sugar intake would decrease. Over time, this reduced consumption would lower the prevalence of chronic health conditions in the population. This would of course benefit individuals, but it would also gradually reduce the cost of the healthcare system as fewer and fewer people would require ongoing care for such conditions.
Not only would a special tax on sugary drinks lead to health benefits at the individual and population levels, but it would also generate additional revenue for the government. This newfound revenue could be used for a range purposes, including to upgrade hospital facilities and improve healthcare systems more generally. It could also be used to fund health promotion campaigns. For example, with the revenue raised from sugary drinks, the government could develop advertisements for television and social media to inform the public about the detrimental health effects of excessive sugar consumption.
In conclusion, I fully support a special tax on sugary drinks. It would improve the health of the community and would give the government an additional revenue stream, allowing it to support people’s health in other ways.