IELTS writing practice 2

The graph below shows the share of electricity generated from four sources in Westland between 2010 and 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The line graph illustrates how the proportion of electricity produced from coal, solar, wind and gas in Westland changed over the fifteen years from 2010 to 2025.

Overall, coal remained the largest single source, but its share fell dramatically, while solar and wind power grew rapidly. Gas was the only source that stayed relatively stable.

In 2010, coal generated almost three quarters of Westland's electricity (72%). This figure declined steadily throughout the period, reaching just 30% by 2025. Gas accounted for around a fifth of the total in 2010 and changed very little, ending the period at roughly 19%.

By contrast, renewable sources expanded quickly. Solar power provided only about 1% of electricity in 2010, but its share rose sharply, especially after 2016, to 27% in 2025. Wind followed a similar pattern, increasing from 4% to 24%. As a result, by the end of the period solar and wind together produced more electricity than coal.

You recently stayed at a hotel and left a personal item in your room. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter: give details of your stay, describe the item you left behind, and explain how you would like the item returned to you.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I stayed at your hotel from 3 to 6 March in Room 214, and I am writing because I believe I left a personal item in the room when I checked out.

The item is a small black leather wallet containing a family photograph and a library card. It has little monetary value, but the photograph is very important to me. I think I left it in the drawer of the bedside table, as I remember putting it there on my first night.

I would be extremely grateful if you could check whether it has been found. If so, could you please post it to my home address, 18 Wattle Avenue, Ballarat VIC 3350? I am happy to pay the postage costs, and you can contact me on 0412 555 019 to arrange payment.

Thank you in advance for your help. I enjoyed my stay very much and hope to return soon.

Yours faithfully,

Priya Raman

In many countries, more and more people are choosing to live alone. What are the reasons for this? Is it a positive or negative development?

In many parts of the world, the number of single-person households has risen sharply in recent decades. This essay will explain why this trend is happening and argue that, although it has some drawbacks, it is largely a positive development.

There are several reasons why more people live alone. Firstly, people are marrying later or not at all, often because they want to focus on education and careers first. Secondly, rising incomes, particularly among women, mean that more people can afford their own home. Finally, people are living longer, and many older people continue to live independently after a partner has died, rather than moving in with their children.

There are clear benefits to this trend. Living alone gives people independence and privacy, and allows them to organise their lives as they wish. For many young adults, it is also an important step towards becoming responsible and self-reliant. For older people, staying in their own home can help them remain active and maintain links with their local community.

However, there are disadvantages. Single-person households use more energy and space per person, which increases housing demand and environmental pressure. In addition, some people who live alone, especially the elderly, may become lonely and isolated, which can harm their mental and physical health.

In conclusion, people increasingly live alone because of later marriage, greater financial independence and longer lives. In my view, this is mainly positive because it reflects greater freedom of choice, but governments and communities should do more to provide affordable smaller homes and to support people who are at risk of isolation.