IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answer (band score 8-9)
IELTS Essay # 1078 - Many museums charge for admission while others are free
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IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many museums charge for admission while others are free.
Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer 1: [View: Advantages outweigh disadvantages]
The question of whether museums should charge for admission or remain free has been a subject of debate for many years. In this essay, I will analyze both the advantages and disadvantages of charging people for museum admission and explain why, in my view, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
One significant disadvantage of charging admission fees is that it may limit access to culture and knowledge for individuals from low-income backgrounds. Museums serve as valuable educational resources, and when entry fees are imposed, it may deter those with financial constraints from visiting. For instance, families on tight budgets or students with limited resources might find it difficult to afford museum tickets. As a result, they miss out on the enriching experiences that museums offer. Therefore, limiting access to museums based on financial barriers can lead to a cultural divide, where only those who can afford it have the opportunity to experience art, history, and heritage.
On the other hand, charging for museum admission has its merits. Firstly, it can enhance the overall visitor experience by providing additional resources and facilities. Revenue generated from ticket sales can be reinvested in the museum, improving amenities, displays, and educational programmes. This ensures that visitors receive a high-quality experience, making their visit more enjoyable and informative. For example, the Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the world's most renowned museums, charges an admission fee. This revenue allows the museum to continuously upgrade its exhibitions and maintain its extensive collection, providing a world-class experience to millions of visitors. Charging for admission can lead to a sustainable financial model for museums, allowing them to maintain and expand their collections and offerings.
In conclusion, while charging admission to museums can restrict access for some individuals, the benefits of generating revenue to enhance visitor experiences and invest in museum collections outweigh the disadvantages.
Model Answer 2: [View: disadvantages outweigh benefits]
Whether entry to a museum should be free or not, and which one offers greater benefit is often hotly debated. This essay will carefully outline the advantages and disadvantages of paid entry to museums and opine why entry fee to a museum offers more disadvantages than benefits.
Among the advantages of charging people for granting entry to a museum is that the money earned this way can support the maintenance costs and staff salary. Museums require maintenance and upgradation costs and salaries for their employees. Since museums do not have any tangible income like most business entities, they need a way to support the expenditure. Therefore, the entry ticket fees could be a great source of income for those museums to run and function. For instance, the city I live in has some vibrant museums and art galleries that attract local and foreign tourists alike. The main income source for the authority of those museums is the entrance fee.
However, there are significant disadvantages to charging visitors to museums. First, hefty entry fees to many museums deter low-income people and students from visiting them. Since the museums are meant to preserve and teach history, science, traditions and other important aspects of society and inspire the new generation, they should be accessible to all, especially young learners. For instance, two science and technology museums in my city charge a large sum of money as an entry fee and attract only rich people. Since they are not accessible to all students, they fail to make an impact on society when it comes to teaching and inspiring people. Moreover, the collection of most museums increases over time and people need to visit museums regularly, not just once in a lifetime. When people need to spend money to witness history or learn about science, many of them may not go there at all. Therefore, charging people for visiting museums has far more significant demerits than a few advantages it offers.
To conclude, free entrance to museums has numerous long-term and immediate benefits that far outweigh the single monetary advantage the ticket money may offer. Therefore, it is expected that the state would bear the expenses of the museums and they would offer free admission to visitors.
Sample Essay 3: [View: Advantages outweigh disadvantages]
Museums preserve and represent important local and global history, scientific inventions, traditions and many other important aspects of our civilisations. Many museums charge visitors for granting entry while some are free. I believe that charging visitors for entrance derives more benefits than drawbacks. This essay will justify this view by analysing both the advantages and disadvantages of this policy.
A huge demerit of imposing an entrance fee to a museum is that it reduces the number of visitors. If people do not go to museums and learn about important history, scientific inventions, cultural aspects and so on, the museums fail to serve their purposes. To illustrate, a botanical garden located in my city gets more visitors per day than a science museum located nearby. The reason perhaps the entry to the garden is free while the museum charges about $20 for each person.
On the flip side, one major advantage of charging an entry fee to a museum is that the money could be utilised to maintain and develop the museum. For instance, it can be used to cover utility bills, repair and renovate the structure, enrich the collection and pay salaries to employees. Maintaining a large museum costs a huge amount of money and the revenue earned from the visitors could support the cost. Not all museums are funded by the government and sometimes museum‘s fund is not enough to cover all the costs it requires. If visitors do not pay to visit such a museum, the authority would need to shut it down. Furthermore, due to applied tariffs, museums are not overcrowded which keeps the environment of the museums conducive for learners and curious people. A crowded park may still be useful, but a museum packed with people is not a very ideal place to visit and learn. Therefore, I believe that admission money to a museum is seems very utilitarian and useful.
To conclude, although admission fees deter some people from visiting a museum in some cases, considering how it covers the necessary expenses, and keeps the environment favourable for learning and enjoying, it seems to have more significant advantages than drawbacks.
[ Written by - Izzah Raisya ]
Idea Generation for this IELTS Essay:
Essay question:
Many museums charge for admission while others are free.
Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?
Essay type:
Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
The main question of this essay:
Do the advantages of charging admission fees to museums outweigh its disadvantages?
Advantages of charging admission fees to museums:
1. Generates funds for museum maintenance:
Charging admission fees provides necessary funds to maintain the museum, preserve exhibits, and improve facilities. Museums require substantial resources to safeguard historical artifacts. For example, famous museums such as The Louvre in Paris use admission fees to regularly update their security and infrastructure.
2. Enhances the quality of exhibits:
Revenue from tickets allows museums to curate better exhibits and offer enhanced visitor experiences, attracting more visitors. For instance, entrance fees enable institutions like the British Museum to host world-class exhibitions.
3. Controls visitor numbers effectively:
Charging fees can regulate the flow of visitors, preventing overcrowding and ensuring a more enjoyable experience for all. For instance, paid entry at special exhibits limits visitors, allowing more comfortable viewing.
4. Encourages visitors to value their experience:
Visitors who pay admission are often more likely to appreciate and respect the exhibits and facilities provided. They tend to spend more time and engage more meaningfully. For example, visitors at paid museums usually spend more time examining exhibits carefully.
5. Enables museums to become financially independent:
Museums that charge entry fees depend less on government funding, increasing their autonomy. This independence allows them more flexibility in choosing exhibits. For instance, private museums funded through admission fees often display a wider variety of exhibits without bureaucratic constraints.
6. Supports employment opportunities:
Income generated from entry charges creates employment opportunities for museum guides, security staff, and administrative personnel. These job opportunities benefit the local economy. To illustrate, museums charging entry fees often employ more staff to manage operations.
7. Funding educational and cultural programmes:
Revenue from tickets can finance educational workshops, tours, and cultural activities, enriching community engagement. For example, many museums use entry fees to host interactive workshops and seminars for students.
Disadvantages of charging admission fees to museums:
1. Limits accessibility for poorer individuals:
High entrance fees may discourage lower-income visitors from accessing cultural and educational experiences, creating a barrier to knowledge. For example, families from disadvantaged backgrounds may find visiting museums unaffordable.
2. Reduces cultural engagement:
Fees can discourage casual visitors and thus limit public engagement with history and culture. Many individuals might avoid museums due to ticket costs. For instance, free museums attract more casual visitors, fostering broader cultural exposure.
3. Potential drop in overall visitor numbers:
Introducing admission fees may significantly reduce visitor attendance, negatively impacting the museum’s popularity and cultural relevance. For example, attendance at some museums declined notably after introducing fees.
4. May conflict with educational objectives:
Museums play an educational role, which might be compromised if fees restrict access for students and schools with limited budgets. For example, schools might limit educational trips to museums that charge entry fees.
5. Creates inequality of access:
Museums charging entry fees can exacerbate social divisions by offering more opportunities for wealthier visitors than for those with limited financial means. For instance, museums in affluent areas are often well-funded, while those serving poorer communities suffer.
6. Potential public criticism:
Charging entry fees may result in negative perceptions of museums as commercial institutions rather than community resources. For instance, museums with high ticket prices might be perceived as prioritizing profit over public benefit.
Model Answer 4: [View: Demerits significantly outweigh the benefits]
Many museums have admission fees while others allow visitors free entry. Both approaches have merits and demerits that this essay will deal with. In my view, although charging entry fees has certain benefits, the drawbacks significantly outweigh these advantages.
On the one hand, charging admission fees generates revenue that museums can reinvest to improve their facilities and exhibits. With this extra income, museums can provide higher-quality experiences, ensure better preservation of artefacts, and fund educational activities. For example, renowned institutions such as the British Museum allocate ticket revenues to maintain their priceless collections and provide interactive, technologically advanced exhibits for visitors.
On the other hand, imposing fees severely limits access for individuals from lower-income backgrounds, creating inequality in cultural and educational opportunities. Many people, particularly families and students, cannot afford frequent museum visits if entry fees are charged, resulting in reduced exposure to essential historical, scientific, and artistic knowledge. For example, museums in London that introduced entry charges saw a noticeable decrease in visitors from economically disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, reduced accessibility leads to declining public engagement with culture, limiting museums’ roles in educating and inspiring diverse audiences, ultimately undermining their purpose as inclusive community institutions. This is why, I am convinced that admission fees to museums have far more demerits than benefits.
In conclusion, despite the potential improvements funded by admission fees, the negative impacts of reduced access and decreased cultural participation are considerably greater. Museums serve as vital cultural and educational resources for society and must remain accessible to all, irrespective of financial status, ensuring their vital role in promoting education and social cohesion is sustained.
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