IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.
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:
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:
Whether entry to a museum should be free or not, and which one offers greater benefit is often hotly debated. I believe that there should be no charge for visiting a museum. This essay will outline why the 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 cost and staff salary. Museums require maintenance and upgradation cost 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 terms 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:
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 advantages of 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 charge 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 for visiting 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 seemly 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 ]
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