In many countries people read fewer books than they did twenty years ago.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In many countries people read fewer books than they did twenty years ago.
Why do you think this is? How important is it to encourage reading?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
The second question is an evaluation — <em>how important</em> is it to encourage reading — so it needs a judgement, not a list of benefits. The most defensible position distinguishes reading as an activity from what reading uniquely provides: sustained attention on a single argument. People read more words than ever; what has declined is the long, uninterrupted kind, and that is the thing actually worth defending.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then signpost both answers: the decline is a competition for attention rather than a loss of interest; and it matters, but for a narrower reason than usually claimed.
Body 1 — Why — books compete with media engineered for immediate reward, and sustained attention is a trained capacity that erodes without practice.
Body 2 — How important — very, but because of what long-form reading builds, not because books are inherently virtuous.
Conclusion — Encouraging reading matters as a defence of sustained attention, which no other common activity now trains.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
332 words
In numerous nations, book consumption has markedly declined over the past two decades. This trend is primarily attributable to the proliferation of digital entertainment, while I am convinced that encouraging reading remains of considerable importance for cognitive and social development.
The principal reason behind this decline is the sheer abundance of alternative entertainment options available on smartphones and streaming platforms. To clarify, unlike a book, which demands sustained attention over hours, short-form videos and games deliver near-instant gratification, requiring minimal cognitive effort. Consequently, individuals increasingly gravitate toward these more effortless pastimes rather than committing to lengthy texts. This dynamic is particularly pronounced among younger audiences, who have grown accustomed to constant digital stimulation from early childhood. Furthermore, hectic modern lifestyles leave little leisure time for reading, as people juggle demanding careers alongside family obligations, with remaining free hours typically allocated to passive, low-effort relaxation rather than the sustained concentration that reading requires.
Despite this decline, promoting reading habits remains vital, given its unparalleled contribution to cognitive development. To illustrate, reading exercises analytical thinking and vocabulary acquisition far more effectively than audiovisual media, since readers must actively construct meaning from text rather than passively absorb information. Moreover, books also cultivate empathy by exposing readers to perspectives and experiences distinct from their own; for instance, a novel narrated from the viewpoint of a refugee can foster genuine understanding in ways a brief video summary cannot. Additionally, sustained reading habits are strongly associated with improved concentration and academic performance across all subjects, extending benefits well beyond literacy itself. Hence, without deliberate encouragement, generations may lose access to these irreplaceable cognitive and emotional benefits.
To conclude, although the convenience of digital entertainment and time constraints largely explain the decline in book reading, I believe that governments and schools should actively promote reading, as its contribution to critical thinking and empathy remains indispensable for future generations.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a direct / two-part question question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Paraphrase that book-reading has fallen over the last twenty years and state that encouraging it still matters for cognitive and social development.
Body 1: Argue the decline stems from low-effort digital entertainment offering instant gratification and from busy modern lifestyles leaving little leisure time, illustrated by younger audiences raised on constant digital stimulation.
Body 2: Argue reading should still be encouraged because it builds analytical thinking, vocabulary and empathy in ways passive audiovisual media cannot, using the example of a refugee-narrated novel fostering understanding.
Conclusion: Summarise that convenience and time pressure explain the decline, but reading promotion remains essential for critical thinking and empathy.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
proliferation
a rapid increase in the number or amount of something
This trend is primarily attributable to the proliferation of digital entertainment.
sheer abundance
an overwhelming or very large quantity
the sheer abundance of alternative entertainment options available on smartphones and streaming platforms
near-instant gratification
pleasure or satisfaction obtained almost immediately
short-form videos and games deliver near-instant gratification, requiring minimal cognitive effort
gravitate toward
to be naturally drawn or attracted to something
individuals increasingly gravitate toward these more effortless pastimes
hectic
extremely busy
hectic modern lifestyles leave little leisure time for reading
unparalleled
having no equal; unmatched
promoting reading habits remains vital, given its unparalleled contribution to cognitive development
cultivate empathy
to develop or nurture the ability to understand others' feelings
books also cultivate empathy by exposing readers to perspectives and experiences distinct from their own
irreplaceable
unable to be replaced or substituted
generations may lose access to these irreplaceable cognitive and emotional benefits
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
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Common questions
How do I answer a question that asks how important something is?
Give a graded judgement and a reason for that grade. "Very important, because it trains a capacity nothing else now trains" is an answer. A list of benefits is not — it leaves the examiner to infer your evaluation, which is exactly what the question asked you to supply.
Is it useful to redefine what has actually declined?
When the redefinition is accurate, yes. Pointing out that people read more words but less long-form writing sharpens the whole essay and prevents you defending a claim that is not quite true. Keep it to a sentence or two at the start.
Can I dismiss weak arguments on my own side?
Yes, and it strengthens you. Conceding that vocabulary and imagination gains are available elsewhere makes your central claim more credible, because the examiner can see you are not simply gathering every point that supports your view.
