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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people claim that there are more disadvantages of the car than its advantages.

Do you agree or disagree?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having a car.

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

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer 1:
The automobile, a staple of modern society, offers unparalleled convenience and mobility. While some contend that the disadvantages of owning a car outweigh its benefits, this essay will argue that the advantages of car ownership significantly outweigh the drawbacks. It will also outline the merits and demerits of owning a car.

Owning a car affords individuals unparalleled mobility and convenience. It provides freedom of movement, allowing people to travel to various destinations at their convenience, fostering independence. Moreover, cars facilitate accessibility, enabling individuals to reach remote areas where public transportation might not be available. Additionally, cars offer a sense of comfort and privacy during travel, especially when commuting in adverse weather conditions.

However, car ownership is not without its drawbacks. The environmental impact of cars, particularly air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, remains a significant concern. Traffic congestion resulting in time wastage and increased stress levels is another disadvantage. Furthermore, the cost associated with car maintenance, fuel, insurance, and parking can be a financial burden for many individuals.

Despite the environmental and financial concerns associated with car ownership, I firmly believe that the advantages of owning a car far outweigh the disadvantages. The autonomy and convenience offered by cars in terms of mobility and accessibility are unparalleled. Additionally, technological advancements in electric and hybrid vehicles present promising solutions to mitigate environmental impacts.

In conclusion, while acknowledging the downsides of car ownership, such as environmental concerns and financial burdens, the unmatched convenience, mobility, and autonomy that cars offer make them an indispensable part of modern life. With ongoing technological advancements, addressing the drawbacks of car usage becomes imperative to maximize the benefits while minimizing the negative impacts on society and the environment.

Model Answer 2:
The automobile has undeniably revolutionized transportation, offering unprecedented freedom and convenience. However, its widespread adoption has also sparked debate concerning its overall negative impact. While some argue that the car's drawbacks far outweigh its advantages, I hold the opposing view that I will explain in this essay by outlining the merits and demerits of owning a car. 

A key advantage of car ownership is the undeniable freedom it provides. Unlike public transport, which operates on fixed schedules and routes, cars offer complete control over travel plans. This allows individuals to readily access remote locations, spontaneous outings, and errands outside the confines of public transport schedules. Additionally, cars provide a sense of privacy and security, especially for families and individuals travelling with valuables. For instance, a young woman travelling alone late at night may feel significantly safer driving her own car than relying on public transportation, especially if she is carrying valuables like her laptop or jewellery.

However, the car's environmental impact cannot be ignored. Extensive car usage contributes significantly to air and noise pollution, leading to respiratory problems and other health issues. Moreover, car ownership can be financially burdensome. The initial purchase price of a car is significant, and ongoing expenses like fuel, maintenance, and insurance can strain household budgets. Additionally, parking fees and tolls can add further costs to car usage, particularly in urban areas.

In conclusion, car ownership, on the one hand, offers undeniable advantages in terms of individual freedom and economic development. On the other hand, its environmental and financial drawbacks are substantial and cannot be ignored. Personally, I believe that owning a car offers far more benefits than the drawbacks.

Model Answer 3:
In our lives, we travel from one place to another for a great variety of reasons and while travelling we greatly depend on cars, whether it is a private car or a public bus. The number of car owners is increasing every day because every person expects the freedom to travel and comfort while travelling. And that is why most of us want to own a car. However owning a car have many advantages and disadvantages as well.

The main advantage of owning a car is it gives the freedom to travel. If you have a car then you don't need to be limited to fixed routes and timetables. Moreover, a car-owner can take is/her family members with him/her and other necessary goods whenever he/she wish which might have been impossible otherwise. In addition, personal cars give comfort while travelling on the contrary to the public buses which are so crowded and disgusting. You can read books, listen to music or even can play with kids while you are in your own car but those all seem to be impossible in public transport. On the contrary, owning a car is very expensive. The price of the car, the cost of the tax, insurance cost, fuel cost, driver's salary, car repairing etc. all must be considered before buying a car and that is why it is out of reach of the middle-class people.

Moreover, private cars can not carry many passengers at a time yet occupy spaces in the street. As the number of cars is increasing in the road so does the traffic jam. Perhaps the major disadvantage of cars, in general, is the huge damage they do to human health and to the environment. More cars mean more pollution. The environment pollution is a serious issue today and at any cost, we must reduce the amount of pollution and if we consider it then owning a car is never a good idea.

To sum up, having a car gives someone freedom but if the public transportation system is easily accessible, safe and efficient, then the idea of buying and owning a car should be abandoned.  

(Approximately 354 words)

(This model answer has been prepared by the site developer. However, please note that this is just one example out of many possible answers.)

Alternative Answer 4:
Owning a car is a birth-right for some people while other people try their life-long to purchase one. Apart from these two groups, there are certain people who do not dare to even think about purchasing a car because of their miserable economic conditions. However, for all those people the four-wheel car is a fancy machine with advantages and utility. Owning a car can also bring some drawbacks.

Among the advantages of owning a car, in my opinion, freedom of travelling is the most important one. Someone who owns a car can plan his route, timing and destination. He won’t have to wait for the schedule of a public bus, stand in a long queue, wait for hours for the bus to arrive, and sit in the public bus uncomfortably. A person car gives the freedom, saves time and the owner can utilise the time while he travels. Apart from that, he can carry the grocery, goods and other valuables in the car at his discretion. Owning a car also offers the flexibility of visiting relatives and friends who stay far away without much hassle of a public bus. Taking a child or an old person in a public bus is quite impossible and owning a car would facilitate someone to take his kid, old relatives with him if needed. The comfort and safety of a private car can’t be achieved in a public car. In terms of expense, sometimes personal car saves monthly expenses that would otherwise be required for a person if he travels frequently. 

On the other hand owning a car has some disadvantages as well. First of all, private cars require garage and parking hassle. Sometimes the expenses on hiring a driver and purchasing fuel might exceed the budget for the people who could have easily availed public transportations for infrequent journeys. The traffic issue, paper renewal issue, tax, police cases are sometimes too much to handle for the personal car owners. For example, if a public bus gets busted in the middle of a road, the passenger can easily leave it a look for another one. But in this same situation, a private car owner who was riding in his car would have to take the burden of taking care of the busted car and reach to the automobile repairing centres.

In summary, though owning a car has some disadvantages, it offers many advantages as well.

(This model answer has been prepared by the site developer. However, please note that this is just one example out of many possible answers.)

Model Answer 5:
People need different modes of transportation to move from one place to another. In the ancient time, they used horses and donkeys for this purpose and to carry their loads. With  the development of technology, people invented novel things such as cars, trains, aeroplanes, ships and this development has further enhanced the flexibility and convenience of transportation. Out of these vehicles, the private car is one of the best and most preferred vehicles for people to commute from one place to another but not without consequences.  

Private cars have many advantages. Due to this, people who can afford a private car, want to own it. People with low-income class also dream to own a car one day. This simple phenomenon shows how advantageous of owning a private car can be. With a private car, people can plan their own journey, go somewhere whenever they want, take diversions to avoid bad traffic, avoid long queue for ticketing and enjoy the utmost flexibility and privacy of a soothing journey. This is a very handy thing in the emergency cases. For example, when someone gets sick, his family members can easily take him to a hospital regardless of the time. Finally, owning a private car offers someone the freedom to enjoy his time during the journey while it is quite impossible on a public bus.    

On the contrary, private car ownership has many demerits as well. It is far more expensive than public transportation. The cost of  fuel, driver, licence, insurance, maintenance, repairing etc. will often increase the monthly expense for a family. Furthermore, those cars produce toxic gas such as greenhouse gases, CO2 and CO that are harmful to the human health and the environment. Private cars are the main reason for congestion on the roads and the increasing environmental pollution.  

To some up, I think the private car is a very useful vehicle that offers more advantages than demerits to its owner. However, the environmental issues due to excessive use of cars should not be ignored and we should use private cars absolutely when it is necessary and at other times, we should use public transportations.

[Written by Nima]

• IELTS Essay
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