Below are ideas for the topic of history in IELTS writing task 2. This essay is about how important history is to learn. This can relate to the subject of history as a whole or children spending time learning history. You should use the ideas given below and adapt them to the specific essay question given by IELTS.
Sample IELTS Essay Question
Some people think that studying history is a waste of time while others think that it is essential to learn. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
IELTS Essay Ideas
Below are ideas for both side of the argument. A useful definition of history is “it is the study of past events, particularly human affairs.”. It might be the study of a country or of a person in the past. It might involve a particular event or a general situation at a given time in the past.
History is a Waste of Time
- Most people memorise dates, names and facts when they study history. This information is not useful in everyday life or for the future.
- If we could actually learn from history, history wouldn’t be full of the same repeated mistakes. However, the same mistakes are made again and again which makes history irrelevant to learn for the future.
- History is a subject that is rarely used in people’s lives so it would be better to focus on science or technology which is more relevant to the future and today’s society.
- Each historical event has different perspectives. For this reason, it makes learning history a waste of time because events can also be interpreted in a different way which makes what we learn in history less valuable.
- Many school curriculum have been set and are rarely changed. That curriculum includes little current history which is the only type of history that helps people understand the world they currently live in.
History is Important
- History helps young people understand their own culture and how their culture and country have evolved.
- History gives identity and helps unify people. It gives people a sense of roots and belonging.
- History teaches people what their forefathers experienced and suffered in the past in order to make their country what it is today.
- History teaches us about travesties which have occurred in the past, such as the Holocaust. It is essential for both people in the past, present and future to never forget such events in order to honour the memory of those lost and to ensure it never happens again.
- History helps us understand change. It records and helps people understand successes and failures. Through these studies people can learn about change and how others are affected by it.
- It shows patterns of behaviour or events in the past and their outcome which can help us avoid similar outcomes in the future.
- Learn about the past often gives a glimpse of the future. It shows a path of development that will continue past the present and into the future.
- Valuable information can often be found in history, such as traditional medicines. Learning about past lifestyles and techniques used by people in the past can hold the secrets to remedies or cures no longer used.
