Write at least 250 words · 40 minutes
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Ideas to get you started
- Uniforms reduce visible differences in family income
- They may limit self-expression and personal style
- Uniforms can save parents time and money on clothing
A plan for this question
- Introduction: paraphrase the question and give your position: you agree, provided uniforms are simple and affordable.
- Body 1: your reasons: uniforms hide differences in family income and reduce teasing, give a sense of belonging, and save time and money.
- Body 2: answer the main objection (self-expression) and the cost problem, and show how both can be managed.
- Conclusion: restate your position and the condition.
Model essay
281 words
Whether children should wear a uniform to school is a question that divides parents and teachers. In my view, schools should require uniforms, provided that they are simple and affordable.
The strongest argument for uniforms is that they reduce the visible differences between rich and poor families. When every child wears the same clothes, there is no competition over expensive brands, and children from low-income homes are less likely to be teased about what they wear. A uniform also gives pupils a sense of belonging to their school, rather like a sports team wearing the same shirt, and many teachers find that it encourages a more serious attitude to lessons. There is a practical benefit as well: parents do not have to buy a large wardrobe of fashionable clothes, and children do not waste time every morning deciding what to put on.
Critics argue that uniforms limit children’s freedom to express their personality. While this concern is understandable, I believe it is exaggerated. Young people can express themselves through their ideas, their hobbies and their friendships, and they remain free to dress as they like at weekends and in the holidays. A more serious problem is cost, since some schools insist on expensive items from a single supplier. However, this is an argument for regulating uniforms, not for abolishing them. If schools choose plain, durable clothes that can be bought from ordinary shops, a uniform is usually cheaper than keeping up with fashion.
In conclusion, I agree that all schoolchildren should wear a uniform, because it promotes equality, belonging and practicality. The concerns about self-expression and cost are real, but they can be managed by keeping uniforms simple and reasonably priced.
Written by Acedmi to show what a high-band essay looks like. It is not an official IELTS sample, and your own ideas can be different.
Useful vocabulary
- compulsory
- Required by a rule.
- “Uniforms are compulsory in most schools in the country.”
- tease
- Laugh at someone in an unkind way.
- “Children are sometimes teased about their clothes.”
- sense of belonging
- The feeling of being part of a group.
- “A uniform gives pupils a sense of belonging.”
- self-expression
- Showing your personality or feelings.
- “Some say uniforms limit self-expression.”
- peer pressure
- Pressure from people your age to behave like them.
- “Uniforms reduce peer pressure to wear expensive brands.”
- affordable
- Cheap enough for most people to buy.
- “Uniforms should be affordable for every family.”
- durable
- Lasting a long time.
- “Plain, durable clothes last for several years.”
- abolish
- End a rule or system officially.
- “High cost is no reason to abolish uniforms.”
Common mistakes
- Listing advantages and disadvantages without a position. This is an opinion question, so say how far you agree in the first paragraph.
- Ignoring the other side. A strong opinion essay answers the main counter-argument, as the model does with self-expression.
- Over-general claims such as "uniforms stop all bullying". Use careful language: "less likely", "many teachers find".
What the examiner marks
Four criteria, equally weighted: Task Response (answer every part of the question with a clear position), Coherence and Cohesion (logical paragraphs and linking), Lexical Resource (range and accuracy of vocabulary) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. An essay under 250 words loses marks for Task Response.