IELTS Writing Task 2 – Causes and Solutions Essay

These days, a growing number of people are not getting enough sleep, and this is harming both their health and their performance at work. In my view, the main causes are late-night phone use and long working hours, but both problems can be reduced by changing personal habits and workplace rules.

There are two main reasons why people sleep less than before. The first is the habit of using phones and other screens late at night. Social media and video apps are designed to keep users watching, so many people plan to check one message but are still scrolling an hour later. In addition, the bright light from screens tells the brain that it is still daytime, which makes it harder to fall asleep. The second reason is that many adults now work longer hours than in the past. Because work emails and messages arrive on their phones, they often keep working after dinner and go to bed feeling stressed.

Fortunately, there are practical solutions to both problems. To deal with screen use, people can create a simple bedtime routine, such as charging their phone outside the bedroom and reading a paper book instead. Schools and doctors could also teach young people why sleep matters, so that good habits start early. To tackle overwork, governments and companies need to protect workers' free time. For example, France has given many employees the right to ignore work emails outside office hours. If more countries introduced similar rules, people would be able to relax properly in the evening and sleep better.

In conclusion, people are sleeping less mainly because of late-night screen use and the pressure of long working hours. However, if individuals change their evening habits and employers respect workers' free time, most people could enjoy longer and healthier sleep.

Nowadays, many families throw away a large amount of food that could have been eaten. In my opinion, this is mainly caused by poor shopping habits and confusion about date labels, but both problems can be reduced through better planning at home and clearer information on packaging.

There are two main reasons why households waste so much food. The first is that people often buy more than they need. Supermarkets encourage this with special offers such as 'buy one, get one free', so shoppers fill their trolleys with products they never planned to buy. As a result, fresh fruit, vegetables and bread go bad before anyone has time to eat them. The second reason is that many people do not understand the dates printed on food. They often throw away items as soon as the 'best before' date has passed, even though this date is about quality, not safety, and the food is usually still fine to eat.

Fortunately, there are practical solutions to both causes. To deal with over-buying, families can plan their meals for the week and write a shopping list before they go to the shop. This simple habit helps them buy only what they will actually cook. To tackle the confusion about dates, governments and food companies should make labels clearer and explain the difference between 'use by' and 'best before'. For example, a short public information campaign on television and social media could teach people to look, smell and taste before they throw food away.

In conclusion, households waste food mainly because they buy too much and misunderstand date labels. However, if people plan their shopping and labels become easier to understand, far less food will end up in the bin.

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