Plan this problem and solution essay about government with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Traffic congestion is a serious problem in many large cities.
What are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Traffic congestion is a serious problem in many large cities. This essay will consider its causes and suggest measures that could reduce it.
There are several causes. The most obvious is the growing number of private vehicles. As incomes increase, more households can afford cars, and many drivers travel alone, so each road carries far fewer people than it could. Weak public transport makes this worse: if buses and trains are infrequent, crowded or do not reach where people live and work, commuters feel they have no choice but to drive. City design also contributes. Where residential areas are separated from workplaces and shops, journeys are long, and most people travel at the same peak times in the morning and evening. Finally, roads in older cities were never designed for modern traffic volumes, and accidents, roadworks and badly timed traffic lights cause delays that spread quickly.
Cities can take various steps to ease the problem. Investment in fast, reliable and affordable public transport, including metro systems, dedicated bus lanes and park-and-ride sites, would give commuters a real alternative. Congestion charges and higher parking fees discourage unnecessary driving, as the scheme in Stockholm showed when it reduced traffic in the centre by around twenty per cent. Employers could be encouraged to allow flexible hours and home working, spreading demand over the day. In the longer term, planners should create mixed-use neighbourhoods with homes, offices and shops close together, and build safe cycle and pedestrian routes for short trips.
In conclusion, congestion results from too many cars, inadequate public transport and poor planning. Better transport systems, pricing policies, flexible work and smarter urban design would help to solve it.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| traffic jam | long line of slow vehicles |
| congestion charge | fee for driving into a busy area |
| rush hour | busiest travel time |
| car ownership | number of people with cars |
| invest in infrastructure | spend on roads and facilities |
| cycling lanes | roads areas for bikes |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.