The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010.

You are taking a course at a local college. The deadline for your project was last week but you haven't finished it. Write a letter to your lecturer. In your letter introduce yourself explain why you haven't handed in

Learning English at school is often seen as more important than learning local languages. If these are not taught, many are at risk of dying out. In your opinion, is it important for everyone to learn English? Should we

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time. Others say that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own. Dis

А Friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter give contact details For when you are away give instructions about how to take care of your pet. Describe other household

In some countries, there has been an increase in the number of parents who educate their children themselves at home instead of sending them to school. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Some people think that having a set retirement age (e.g. 65 years) for everybody, regardless of occupation, is unfair. They believe that certain workers deserve to retire and receive a pension at an earlier age. Do you a

You live in a room in college which you share with another student. However, there are many problems with this arrangement and you find it very difficult to work. Write a letter to the accommodation officer at the coll

Some people believe that the experiences children have before they go to school will have the greatest effect on their future life. Others argue that experiences gained when they are teenagers have a bigger influence. Di

With the pressures on today's young people to succeed academically, some people believe that non-academic subjects at school (eg: physical education and cookery) should be removed from the syllabus so that children can c

Nowadays we are producing more and more rubbish. Why do you think this is happening? What can governments do to help reduce the amount of rubbish produced? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples f

You are watching television and saw a program being shown early in the morning that contained a lot of violence. You believe the program is unsuitable for that time of day. Write a letter to the manager of the television

Some parents buy their childern a large number of toys to paly with. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the child of having a large number of toys.

You recently organised an all-day meeting for your company, which took place in a local hotel. In their feedback, participants at the meeting said that they liked the hotel, but they were unhappy about the food that wa

In many countries, the tradition of families eating meals together is disappearing. What are the reasons for this trend? What are effects on families and society?

People think that the best way to reduce crime is to give longer prison sentences. Others believe that there are other alternative solutions for reducing crime. Discuss both views and give your opinion on this topic.

General Health services are a basic necessity. However, private companies have made them quite costly for ordinary individuals. Do the advantages of private health care outweigh its disadvantages? Give reasons for your a

The gap between the rich and the poor is becoming wider; the rich are becoming richer and the poor are even getting poorer. Some people think that governments are responsible for this issue, and others think it is the re

Some people believe that students at university should live far away from home while others argue living at home with their parents sounds better. Discuss both views and state your opinion.

Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and this money could be better spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree with this view