IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Writing:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Essay Topic:

Some people think it is more important for the government to spend public money on promoting a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent illness than to spend it on the treatment of people who are already ill.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Some people believe that a government should spend more money for promoting a wholesome lifestyle in consideration to restrict diseases rather than to expend it on the people’s medication who are already sick. I somewhat disagree with this view because using the money for both – promoting healthy lifestyle and funding community treatment, are equally urgent for the government.

I think allocating budget to promote a healthy lifestyle to obstruct sickness in the society is vital for a government because the public health is a government’s responsibility. Better lifestyle will certainly impact in decreasing the number of sick persons, and as a result, it will drop the need for state budget for funding the medical cost. Moreover, such programmes do not need money as much as funding cure of societies require. For instance, this can be done by educating people and students, through advertisement on the internet and TV. And this whole process requires a small amount of money.

It is better to prevent diseases than to cure them. But it does not mean that government should not provide the budget to help fund the hospital costs, especially for people with a low income. Furthermore, hospitals are more expensive, and a government should make sure treatment facilities for the poor. Therefore, it is also important for a government to use the state’s budget for treatment which may be supported by creating programmes like health insurance subsidies.

In conclusion, I am convinced that using public budget on promoting a healthy lifestyle will impede the illness in the society. Likewise funding for treating the ill is also important as a great number of people are already suffering and they have the right to get the proper medical service.

[Writttne by – Prisca Samosir]