GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 193
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
With the rise of e-books, comes the decline in paper books. Some people see this as a good step forward while others do not.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
E-books are gaining widespread popularity in recent years, and thus causing the decline in paper books. Many people consider it a positive development while others do not. This essay will delineate its positive and negative aspects.
There are some considerable advantages to digital books. For a start, they are eco-friendly. That is to say that these digital books are not made out of trees, and thus avoiding paper pollution. Apart from this, another decisive benefit is that e-books are portable. In simple words, people can carry several books with them, without having to make any effort. Books are there with them on their device. This means that an entire library is at their fingertips. Readers have access to reading e-books when they are at home or even while travelling. Most importantly, e-books do not have manufacturing costs and therefore cost less.
Despite these benefits, e-books bring several drawbacks. For a start, reading from an e-book might affect people’s visual health. That is to say that staring at the screen may place more strain on eyes than reading printed books as readers blink less while using smartphones, laptops or other devices to read digital books. A growing number of researches reveals that reading digital books not only contribute to poor eyesight but also is prone to headaches. In addition to these, e-books are not just the real thing. This means that it is not the paperback fiction book that readers can smell the tantalizing aroma of new books or put a bookmark in between pages. To cap it all, people do not take pride in having a mini-library at home.
In conclusion, the increasing trend towards reading e-books confers both advantages and disadvantages. The serious drawback to this phenomenon is that it damages visual health while saves many trees which are vital for our environment.