You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Many people are now spending more and more time travelling to work or school. Some people believe that this is a negative development while others think there are some benefits. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
It is true that commuting times to work or school are generally longer today than in the past. While this trend may be beneficial from one point of view, I agree with those who consider this a negative development.
On the one hand, the need to spend more time travelling to work or school has provoked some beneficial changes. This problem has forced companies and education authorities to take measures to deal with the situation. Firstly, the difficulties of getting to work have prompted some employers to introduce flexible working hours. Many employees prefer this flexibility, and it has proved helpful in particular for working mothers who need to pick up their children after school. A second benefit is in the field of education. Most universities now offer an option for distance learning, recognising the fact that lengthy journeys deter many potential students. Now, the virtual classroom enables studies to be done at home.
On the other hand, it is a waste of time to spend hours each day getting to or from work or school. One problem is that everyone finds it more and more difficult to be punctual, when faced with rush hour traffic jams, which is a stressful situation causing daily anxiety. Many of my classmates, for example, tell me about their worries about being late for lectures. Another problem is that people arrive exhausted at school or the workplace and, in the evening, they arrive worn- out after a long journey home. They are too tired to enjoy their leisure.
In conclusion, I believe that the problem of increased journey times to work or school has forced the introduction of some beneficial changes. However, these long journeys cause stress and fatigue, and they are clearly a negative development.
291 words
Vocab Highlights
commuting times: the time taken travelling to and from work
to prompt: to make somebody decide to do something/ to make something happen
flexible working hours: hours of work that can be changed by agreement between the employer and the employee
working mothers: Mothers who have to go out to work as well as to look after children
to pick up : to go somewhere and collect somebody who is waiting for you
distance learning: delivering education to students who are not physically at school/at university
a virtual classroom: an online classroom in which participants can communicate and interact with other students, view videos and actively engage with the study materials
to be punctual: to arrive at the correct time
rush hour traffic jams: the time when most people are travelling to or from work/school and so there is too much traffic on the roads.
anxiety: the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen
worn-out: looking or feeling very tired, especially as a result of hard work or physical exercise
fatigue: a feeling of being very tired