In this post: A model outline on tourism and local traditions with three model paragraphs, the most common mistakes in culture essays, and three practice questions with model outlines.
Culture and the Arts · 3 parts
- 1. Common questions and arguments
- 2. Vocabulary and two breakdowns
- 3. Model, mistakes and practice (you are here)
✦ In this post
5. Model: one outline + two body paragraphs
Model outline: does tourism preserve local traditions or commercialise them? (Discuss both views)
| Paragraph | Content |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Paraphrase the question + position: I believe tourism can help preserve local traditions, as long as local communities stay in control. |
| Body 1 (the preservation view) | Tourism income gives local areas a budget to restore heritage sites and support traditional crafts (compare Against ①: ticket income maintains collections; see Part 1) |
| Body 2 (the commercialisation view) | To attract visitors, traditions are simplified into performances and lose their original meaning |
| My view | Tourism itself is not the problem; the key is whether local residents take part in decisions and whether the income goes back to the community |
| Conclusion | Restate both sides + a conditional position |
Model body paragraph 1 (the preservation view)
(Model) On the one hand, tourism can provide the funding that local traditions need to survive. Many traditional crafts and festivals are disappearing because young people no longer see them as a way to make a living. When visitors are willing to pay for handmade products or attend a traditional festival, however, these skills become economically valuable again. For instance, if a village famous for paper umbrellas attracted a steady stream of tourists, local craftspeople could earn a stable income and would be more likely to pass their skills on to the next generation.
Model body paragraph 2 (the commercialisation view)
(Model) On the other hand, critics argue that tourism often turns cultural practices into commercial performances. To attract as many visitors as possible, local organisers may shorten a ceremony, change its schedule to suit tour groups, or remove parts that tourists find boring. Over time, the tradition may survive in form but lose the meaning it once had for the community. In this sense, a festival that is preserved only for tourists is arguably no longer a living tradition.
What the two paragraphs have in common: the point is stated clearly in one sentence, the explanation says why this happens, and the example is either a hypothetical situation introduced with if or a general description, with no invented data. The last sentence of the second paragraph, survive in form but lose the meaning, is a very useful contrast pattern for this kind of question.
Model: a rewrite of Task 21 body paragraph 1
(Model) The main benefit of free admission is that it encourages people who would not normally visit museums to engage with art and history. An entrance fee, even a modest one, is often enough to make people decide that a visit is not worth the cost. Without this barrier, students, office workers on their lunch break and families on a budget can simply walk in and explore a single gallery. As a result, museums reach a much wider audience, and the public is more likely to value and support the arts in the long term.
What changed: the original “more visitors, the public values art” became specific people (students, office workers on their lunch break, families on a budget) and a specific action (walking in on the way past to see one gallery); engage in art became engage with art and history; and the last sentence keeps the original conclusion about supporting the arts in the long term.
6. Common mistakes
| Common mistake | Why it is wrong | Better version |
|---|---|---|
| Art is important for society. (a whole paragraph of sentences like this) | Too abstract, with no specific people or events | Use a concrete scene: an exhibition, a temple festival, a dish |
| culture shock used to mean cultural conflict | culture shock is an individual’s short-term difficulty adjusting | cultural conflict / cultural clashes |
| the salary of facilities | Facilities do not earn salaries | staff salaries |
| post a threat to | Misspelling | pose a threat to |
| the demand of food | demand takes for | the demand for food |
| free entrance of museums | The preposition should be to | free entrance to museums / free admission |
| a hot issue | Too informal | has received considerable public attention |
| definitely, the whole market (over-absolute examples) | Looks exaggerated and easy to challenge | may, in some cases, a significant share |
| economical disabilities (meaning low-income groups) | economical means thrifty, and disability refers to physical or mental impairment | low-income households / the financially disadvantaged |
Checklist before you finish
- ☐ Does every argument land on a specific person, place or scene?
- ☐ Are your examples too absolute (definitely, always, the whole)?
- ☐ In Outweigh questions, does the conclusion actually weigh the two sides, rather than just repeat them?
- ☐ Have you got collocations such as pose / post, demand for and entrance to right?
- ☐ Does your position on a culture question include a condition (for example “as long as local residents take part”), to make the argument more mature?
7. Practice questions (with model outlines)
Practice 1 (Agree / Disagree)
Some people think governments should move arts funding to healthcare and education. Do you agree?
Show the model outline
Position: disagree (or partly agree).
- Body 1: the arts relieve stress and affect mental health, and in the long run cutting them may increase the burden on healthcare → borrow For ③ (Part 1)
- Body 2: the arts sector employs many people and also brings in tourism income
- Concession: admit that healthcare and education are more urgent, but suggest reducing arts funding rather than cutting it completely, and encouraging corporate sponsorship → responds to Against ② (Part 1)
Topic sentence: Cutting arts funding entirely would be short-sighted, as the arts support both public mental health and thousands of jobs.
Practice 2 (Two-question)
Many young people are losing interest in traditional customs. Why is this? What can be done about it?
Show the model outline
Body 1 (causes):
- Cause ①: global pop culture (TV series, music, games) is more appealing to young people
- Cause ②: traditional customs feel disconnected from modern life, so young people cannot see their meaning
Body 2 (solutions):
- Solution ①: schools run cultural workshops where students make things and take part themselves → borrow “lowering the barrier to taking part” from For ① (Part 1)
- Solution ②: repackage traditional events through social media and modern formats
Topic sentence: One reason young people are losing interest in traditional customs is that these practices seem disconnected from their daily lives.
Practice 3 (Positive / Negative)
Globalisation is making cities and lifestyles around the world increasingly similar. Is this a positive or negative development?
Show the model outline
Position: mainly negative.
- Body 1: local character disappears and cultures become homogenised (cultural homogenisation), so street scenes in different cities look more and more alike
- Body 2: small local businesses are replaced by multinational chains → borrow the “local industries under threat” logic from Against ④ (Part 1)
- Concession: globalisation also brings cultural exchange, making it easier to encounter different cultures → borrow For ④ (Part 1)
Topic sentence: The main drawback of globalisation is that it threatens local identity, as cities around the world are increasingly dominated by the same international brands.
Culture and arts questions do not require you to be an arts expert. You only need to replace “culture” with something visible and explain clearly how it affects people. The next Topic Guide covers crime and justice: prevention, punishment, education and rehabilitation.
Further reading
- How to write Outweigh and advantages/disadvantages essays
- Task 2 band 7.5 sample: is food from all over the world in supermarkets a good thing?
- Task 2 band 6.5 sample: are stars paid too much?
- Task 2 Topic Vocabulary (Part 2): culture and the arts
- How to paraphrase without losing marks
- IELTS study notes overview (in Chinese)
This is the last part of “Culture and the Arts”. To start again, go back to Part 1.
IELTS Notes in English · Topic Guides (post 8 of 10)
← Previous: IELTS Task 2 Topic Guide: Money and Consumption
Next →: IELTS Task 2 Topic Guide: Crime and Justice
Task 1 Structure · Task 2 Structure · Topic Guides · Writing Language · Band Score Samples · Practice Methods · Speaking & Study Tips
✦ Target Your Future
Some days you practise for hours and the score still does not move. I hope these notes remind you that the setbacks are part of the road: every recording you replayed, every essay you rewrote and every sentence you finally dared to say is progress you have already made.
I wrote this down so the next person can take fewer detours. You do not have to follow my method exactly. Find a rhythm that works for you, rest when you need to, and come back for the next small step.
I hope what you take away is more than a number on a score report: a little more confidence in yourself, and the courage to step a bit closer to the world.
— Ting
← Back to IELTS notes in English
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