IELTS Essay: The Internet and Books

In the past, knowledge was contained in books. Nowadays, knowledge is uploaded to the internet.

Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Analysis

1. It is a fact of modern life that most information today is stored online, rather than in physical books as it was in the past. 2. In my opinion, this is a negative overall despite its obvious conveniences.

1. Paraphrase what the overall topic is about.
2. Write a clear opinion.

1. Supporters of this trend can point to the numerous ways knowledge kept online can be disseminated and used. 2. Online information is almost universally accessible, narrowing socioeconomic differences in society and allowing for various conveniences. 3. First of all, users can find relevant information on search engines from a wide range of sources including user-generated sites like Wikipedia to news outlets like The New York Times and academic journals as well. 4. Once an individual locates the information they are looking for, it is also easier to search within that article, share it with others, have it wherever they go and store more than would be possible if it were a hard copy.

1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea.
3. Begin to develop it with specific examples.
4. Finish developing the same main idea fully.

1. Nonetheless, storing information online encourages a dependence on computer technology that is harmful for the human mind. 2. In the past, if a person wanted to research a given topic, they would have to check out a library book or talk with an expert. 3. This process was much slower and open to the possibility of bias. 4. However, it also meant that individuals were more conscientious and patiently learned from fuller, more nuanced sources. 5. Nowadays, most people read short articles, hastily written to attract more clicks and generate advertising revenue. 6. These tap into a fundamental human need to be constantly engaged and feeling pleasure. 7. Over time, this has led to a generation addicted to devices, lacking the healthy habits engendered by careful research and study.

1. Write another topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
2. Explain your main idea again.
3. Begin to add detail.
4. Use specific support and don’t switch to new main idea.
5. Use specific examples as support
6. Draw out the results/conclusions of your examples.
7. Conclude with a strong statement.

1. In conclusion, despite the handiness of online information, the impact on the human psyche makes this a negative trend on level. 2. Individuals must themselves find ways to

It is a fact of modern life that most information today is stored online, rather than in physical books as it was in the past. In my opinion, this is a negative overall despite its obvious conveniences.

Supporters of this trend can point to the numerous ways knowledge kept online can be disseminated and used. Online information is almost universally accessible, narrowing socioeconomic differences in society and allowing for various conveniences. First of all, users can find relevant information on search engines from a wide range of sources including user-generated sites like Wikipedia to news outlets like The New York Times and academic journals as well. Once an individual locates the information they are looking for, it is also easier to search within that article, share it with others, have it wherever they go and store more than would be possible if it were a hard copy.

Nonetheless, storing information online encourages a dependence on computer technology that is harmful for the human mind. In the past, if a person wanted to research a given topic, they would have to check out a library book or talk with an expert. This process was much slower and open to the possibility of bias. However, it also meant that individuals were more conscientious and patiently learned from fuller, more nuanced sources. Nowadays, most people read short articles, hastily written to attract more clicks and generate advertising revenue. These tap into a fundamental human need to be constantly engaged and feeling pleasure. Over time, this has led to a generation addicted to devices, lacking the healthy habits engendered by careful research and study.

In conclusion, despite the handiness of online information, the impact on the human psyche makes this a negative trend on level. Individuals must themselves find ways to counter these potentially injurious effects.

these potentially injurious effects.

1. Summarise your ideas and repeat your opinion.
2. Add a final thought/detail.