Duolingo 50 Words Essay Questions and answer

Practice on these questions and time yourself based on any of the writing
question types.

1. Argumentative
 These days new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. What are the
advantages of this new approach?
 Many significant buildings are being destroyed or replaced. What are the reasons for
this?
 Some people argue that teenagers have lost moral values. What is your opinion?
 Public transport helps save money and curbs pollution over the private vehicle. What do
you prefer and why?
 Some people claim that the government should spend money on Space research, while
others say that the government should build hospitals. Which argument do you support?
 Having a good university degree is essential in finding a job. Do you agree?
 Some people say that with the development of the Internet, Radio has no future. Do you
agree?

2. Descriptive
 Describe a time when you were delighted. What happened?
 Describe the house in which you live?
 Describe the neighborhood where you live?
 Describe a time when someone cheated on you.
 Describe your daily exercise routine.
 Describe a time when you traveled somewhere.
 How do you travel to your work/study? Describe your vehicle.
 Describe a skill that you want to learn.
 Describe your favorite actor. Why is he your favorite?

3. Recount
 Write about your dream job. Why do you want this job?
 Write down about your best friend. How long have you known him?
 What is your favorite dish? How is it prepared?
 Write about your favorite book.
 Tips and Examples for Each Writing Question Type

The steps below may assist you in preparing for the exam:

1. Describe the Photo

This question type (Write about the photo) will appear three times on the test. Thus, it is
important that you prepare for it.

Understanding this Question Type (Describe the Photo)

 You will have this question three times.
 You have 60 seconds to write your answer.
 You must write at least one sentence (but more is better).
 It contributes to your production and literacy subscores.

How To Write the Answer To This Task?

i) Add Introductory Statements

Memorize these statements and practice typing them out quickly. Use viable Sentence
starters such as:
 “This is a picture of…”
 “This picture shows…”
 “This image depicts…”
 “In this photograph, there is/are…”

ii) Be Descriptive
Here’s how to be more descriptive about the image.
 Write about the actions of the person or main subject in the picture. Use precise verbs
and adverbs.
 Describe the subject or object using adjectives. Avoid the most common ones.
 Write about the location of the subject in the picture. Make use of prepositional
phrases.

iii) Make A Guess Or Prediction

How can you do this? You can have an intelligent guess by referring to the clues surrounding
the subject. You may use modal verbs such as might, could, must, may, etc. Use Sentence
Starters, such as:
“It seems like…”
“It looks like…”
“I guess that…”
“I think…”

iv) Leave Time To Check For Errors

Always allot a time for you to go over what you have written. Don’t forget to scan and
proofread your work.

2. Write About A Topic (Argument)

This question type (Write about a topic) will appear on the test once.

Understanding this Question Type (Write About a Topic)

 You must write your answer in five minutes.
 Minimum 50 words (or more is better).
 It contributes to your production and literacy scores


i) Answer The Questions Fully

For your writing question, you’ll have to choose between three different writing
styles: describe, recount, or make an argument.

It is important that you can recognize the type of writing that you have to do

3. Write About A Topic (Recount)

This question type can be found under the Writing Sample section of the DET.
 This question will appear on the test once.
 You must write your answers in five minutes.
 Minimum 50 words (or more is better).
 It contributes to your production and literacy scores.

i) Answer the questions fully

For your writing question, you’ll have to choose between three different writing styles:
describe, recount, or make an argument.
It is important that you can recognize the type of writing that you have to do. This is an example
of making an argument.
ii) How can you say that this is a recount?
The goal of a recount is to remind of an event or experience for their knowledge or delight. It
varies from a narrative in that the events are presented in chronological sequence rather than
altered for maximum effect or drama.
iii) Organize your answer
 Topic Sentence: It provides readers with the necessary background information to
comprehend the content, such as who was involved, where it occurred, and when it
occurred.
 Supporting Ideas: A description of a sequence of events that occurred in the past.
 Concluding Sentence: A personal remark regarding the incident or the final outcome.

iv) Additional Tips and Tricks for Writing a Recount

Here are some pointers to remember in writing a recount:
 written in the past tense.
 frequently uses words that relate to occurrences in time.
 because recollections explain events, verbs (action words) and adverbs are commonly
used (which describe or add more detail to verbs)
 uses personal pronouns are used (I, we).
 it is possible to utilize the passive voice.

4. Write About A Topic (Describe)
Understanding this Question Type
 You will get this question once on the test
 You have 5 minutes to write your answer
 You must write at least 50 words (but more is better)
 It contributes towards your production and literacy subscores
For your writing question, you’ll have to choose between three different writing styles:
describe, recount, or make an argument.
It is important that you can recognize the writing that you have to do.

In the Duolingo English Test, the purpose of this writing is to describe and classify information
without any personal opinion from you. Your primary goal is to discuss the topic focusing on
the

i) Organize your answer

 Topic Sentence: It provides readers with the necessary background information to
comprehend the content, such as who was involved, where it occurred, and when it
happened.
 Supporting Ideas: A description of a sequence of events that occurred in the past.
 Concluding Sentence: This is where a personal remark regarding the incident or the
outcome.
ii) Tips and Tricks in Writing to Describe
Here are some pointers to remember in writing to describe:
 Nouns and noun phrases replace personal pronouns. Use Personal pronouns sparingly.
  Uses present tense in the majority of reports
 To provide consistency, linking verbs like as is, are, has, have, and belong to are
employed.
 Some action verbs are used (climb, eat).
 Color, form, size, bodily parts, habits, behaviors, functions, and purposes are examples
of descriptive language that is real rather than creative.

Few Sample answer:

 Nowadays new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. What are the
advantages of this new approach?
Answer: Using technology to teach students has several advantages such as creating a more
engaged environment, improving collaboration, having more scope to connect with the
students, etc. Technology also allows teachers to explain complicated theories and concepts to
students using attractive visuals, which in turn helps students to learn and understand better.
As a result, incorporating technology in the field of teaching has positive effects both on the
method of teaching and the students.

 In many countries, schools have severe problems with student behavior. What do you
think are the causes of this?
Answer: Perhaps the most predominant cause of problematic student behavior is a
troublesome home environment. Negligence, abuse, lack of affection from parents at home are
some of the causes of students developing problematic behavior and expressing them at
school. Furthermore, being exposed to negative experiences in life, having wrong
companionship, and low mental health are also causes of problems with student behavior.
Most importantly, school authorities aren’t trained enough to handle such student behavior,
which in turn exacerbates the issue.

 Many historic buildings are being destroyed or replaced. What are the reasons for
this?
Answer: One of the predominant reasons behind historic buildings being destroyed is shortage
of land. As the population of the world continues to rise, more land is needed to accommodate
housing for the increasing number of people. Furthermore, many historic buildings are being
replaced due to urbanisation. The rapid growth in urbanisation has allowed many companies to
take over historic buildings in the name of development. As a result, the values of historic
buildings are gradually decreasing as people go unbothered by these changes around them.
  Describe a time when you were extremely happy. What happened?
Answer: The last day when I was able to spend time with my entire family was a time when I
was extremely happy. It was during the holiday last year and that was the last time I had each
and every one of my siblings together at our parents’ house. Now we’re all in different parts of
the world, living our lives, trying to make a living. While I do have my fair share of fun every
now and then, there is nothing quite like the pure happiness of spending time with your own
family.

 Some people argue that the teenagers have lost moral values. What is your opinion?
Answer: I think that children from every generation differ from their previous generation in
many ways, and this difference attracts a lot of scrutiny. I believe that the importance of moral
values has declined for all people, and that includes teenagers as well. Therefore, while it is safe
to say that many teenagers these days have lost regard for moral values, it isn’t true that all of
them have done so. So, I do not think that the statement should be generalized for teenagers
only.

 Describe the house in which you live?

Answer: The house that I live in is an apartment. It is a ten storied building that has six flats on
every floor, and forty flats in total. It is located in the city, and in quite a busy street. I’ve been
living here my entire life and have made many friends from this apartment. We all grew up
together and have developed very good friendships over the years. This house and its people
are two components that I have made some of the most beautiful memories with in my life.

 Describe the neighborhood where you live?

Answer: The neighborhood where I live is located in the city, and in quite a busy street. There
aren’t many trees around, but there is a park very close to it that sort of fulfills the need of
greenery in the area. Many people from the neighborhood and especially kids flock to the park
every afternoon. I myself go there a couple times a week to catch up with my friends from the
area. Our neighborhood is quite safe, with rarely any sort of crime happening here. I have lived
here my entire life and truly believe that this is a great place to grow up and live in.

 Public transport helps save money and curbs pollution over private transport. What
do you prefer and why?
Answer: Personally, I wholeheartedly agree with the statement. Public transports are indeed an
inexpensive option as opposed to private transport. It is something that I use everyday myself.
But while they do curb pollution as opposed to private transports, the convenience and comfort
of owning a private transport can’t be denied. It is truly a luxury and privilege to own a private
transport. But for mass people, public transports are definitely the better option by a
landmark.
  Describe a time when you were cheated.
Answer: During its onset, online shopping didn’t have much credibility as people were afraid of
being cheated on through misleading products that were different from what they had
expected. However, over time, online shopping has made a place for itself in society, and
rightfully so. However, there are still some online shops that are nothing but scams. Last month,
I ordered an air cooler online from an advertisement that made it seem perfectly normal. In
reality, it did nothing to serve its purpose and was simply an object of no use. That made me
not only wastes a good amount of money but also feel extremely cheated.

 Some people argue that the government should spend money on Space research while
others say that the government should build hospitals. Which argument do you
support?
Answer: I believe that the government should undoubtedly spend money on building hospitals
as opposed to spending money on space research. I believe that space research has a lot of
opportunities for human civilization. However, for a developing country like ours, it is a luxury.
Our country is in dire need of better health care systems; one of the main steps to get that
done is building good hospitals. While the government has every right to spend money on
space research, it has no right to do so at the expense of the health of its citizens.

 Describe your daily exercise routine.

Answer: A prerequisite of my exercise routine is waking up early in the morning at 6 am. After
that I go for a quick twenty-minute run. When I get back, I shower and then have a banana that
gives me energy to do yoga for the next forty minutes. On extremely busy days, I do yoga for 15
minutes, but make sure I never go below that. Afterwards, I have my breakfast and do thirty
minutes of exercise. On most days I do cardio, while I sometimes incorporate a bit of
weightlifting in my exercise routine.

 Describe a time when you travelled somewhere.

Answer: Last year I went to Cox’s Bazar with my parents and my sister. It was during the end of
winter, so the weather there was quite perfect. However, the beach was quite sunny, of course.
We did a lot of activities such as jet skiing, kayaking, and parasailing. It was my first time doing
all of these activities, so I had an amazing time. We also bought a lot of dried fish from the
street shops, which is a common tradition for visitors in Cox’s bazar. We relaxed to our hearts’
content and returned after four days of peaceful vacationing.

 How do you travel to your work/study? Describe your vehicle.

Answer: I use public transport to travel. So that means I have to get up early to catch the bus. I
prefer using an AC bus as the route to my work is quite long and the hot weather becomes
quite intolerable. It doesn’t accommodate more passengers than it’s supposed to, which is
quite rare for most public buses in the country. And since I have the privilege to afford a fairly
developed public transport, I choose to use this bus for my own safety.
  Having a good university degree is important in finding a job. Do you agree?
Answer: Yes, I agree with the statement that a good university degree is important in finding a
job. In fact, considering how competitive the job market is becoming with each passing day, a
good university degree is not only important in finding a job but also a prerequisite. While it is
true that a lot of people can’t afford a good university degree, that hasn’t stopped companies
from prioritizing a good degree while hiring new employees.

 Describe a skill that you want to learn.

Answer: A skill that I want to learn is coding. It is a skill that has a lot of demand in the job
market right now. Furthermore, coding is also an integrated part of different kinds of jobs, all of
which have scope for many job opportunities. These opportunities are becoming more and
more available all over the world, making a skill like coding highly advantageous.

 Write about your dream job. Why do you want this job?
Answer: My dream job would be a position that allows me to make a positive impact on people
every day. I would love to work for a company that makes time-saving and life-enriching
products that thousands of people use everyday. I would love to be part of a team that finds
innovative ways to make products more efficient and effective. To be able to earn a living
through something that helps people in one or more ways is the dream.

 Write down about your best friend. How long have you known him/her?
Answer: I have a best friend of fourteen years. We went to the same school. While we have
been friends since grade 1, we became best friends in high school. Ever since then, we have
become inseparable, but only in terms of bonding because we now live in different countries.
However, the distance has not affected or deteriorated our friendship in any way. If anything, it
has made the friendship even stronger. I can’t imagine my life without my best friend.

 What is your favorite dish? How is it prepared?

Answer: My favorite dish is pizza. Its main component is a flat soft bread which can be thin or
thick depending on choice. The bread is then covered by a sauce, predominantly ketchup,
followed by ingredients such as chicken, beef, bell peppers, olives and many others depending
on the choice. One of the most important components of the pizza is cheese which goes on top
of it at last. The bread is then baked at very high heat in an oven and becomes ready to eat in
15-20 mins.

 Describe your favorite actor. Why is he your favorite?

Answer: My favorite actor is Leonardo DiCaprio. The reason he is my favorite is because of his
sheer versatility. Starting from his attention grabbing role in “Catch me if you can” to his career-
defining role in “Titanic”, from his mind blowing performance in “Inception” to his dangerously
convincing role in “Shutter Island”, Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor who seems to have no area of
weakness in acting at all. The way he adapts to every role and also makes it his own is
something that is remarkably rare within actors these days.

 Some people say that with the development of the Internet, Radio has no future. Do
you agree?
Answer: While the internet has definitely taken over many different fields of media and
broadcasting, including the radio, it is too bold to claim that the development of the internet
will lead to radio becoming obsolete. If we pay close attention to the current status quo, the

internet already has all the features of the radio, but radios are still alive and functioning.
People still listen to radios in cars on their way to work and throughout the day. People still turn
to radio for publicizing events and celebrities. I believe that with further development of the
internet, radio will also adapt to changes and hold its place in our lives.

 Write about your favorite book.

Answer: The name of my favorite book is “Pride and Prejudice”. It is considered a reading
classic. It is one of the most popular novels in the English language. Over 200 years after its
publication, it continues to win the hearts and minds of readers around the world, thanks to its
delightful heroine, unforgettable cast of comic characters, witty dialog, and satisfying romantic
plot.

 Describe a time when you spent a lot of money. What did you buy?
Answer: A time when I spent a lot of money was during last Eid. I had been able to save a great
deal of money by that time and had decided to spend a good portion of it for not only myself
but also the people I love. I had spent the money on buying my mother a saari, my father a
watch, and my sister a bag. I also decided to spend some money on my friends and got a watch
for each of my four closest friends. For myself I bought a shirt, a bag, and a bracelet. Although I
had spent a lot of money, I never regretted it because of how happy it made me to be able to
get gifts for the people I love and for myself, with my own money.

 Write down about a time when you worked really hard for something.
Answer: A time when I worked really hard for something was during my last board exam. It was
my graduating exam from school and therefore had a lot of value to it. Besides, every board
exam is very important in a student’s life. And since the knowledge I had gained for this exam
had implications in my exams for university admission, the pressure was even higher.
Therefore, I had to make a routine for my studies, stick to it with discipline, and work hard day
and night to ensure I was preparing well for the exam. I’m thankful that the hard work later
paid off.
  If you have children, What would you do differently from your parents while bringing
them up.
Answer: Parenting can be a challenging responsibility. We cannot undermine the struggle and
hard work of our parents who brought us up. I am thankful to my parents for their
unconditional love and care, though I would like to change something for my kids, and that is
making them more confident to meet the challenges of the changing world. My parents want
me to choose a single field of study. While I think it is important for kids to be multi-skilled.
Today’s world has more opportunities for people who are skillful in more than one field.

 Why some friendships last longer than others? Give your opinion
Answer: Friendship is all about trust, sincerity, and sharing. Many times people are together to
share good times. After the fun time is over, they are never seen with each other again.
Idiomatically, such friends are called fair-weather friends. Many people make friends as part of
socializing but only a few friendships have the potential to last for a lifetime. People who
genuinely like the other person want to have him or her in their lives for a long time. If two
persons are equally sincere and mentally compatible, their friendship will last longer. It is also a
good luck factor, in my opinion, to find sincere or long-lasting friends.

 What was the time when someone was treated unfairly? What happened?
Answer: I remember an incident from my school when a student was suspected of stealing
other students’ notebooks. His name was Brian. He was a grade 9 student and was very
sociable and outgoing. Some students complained about their missing notebooks. One also
alleged that he witnessed Brian stealing someone’s notebook. The teachers and the principal
launched an inquiry and Brian had to deal with many questions from the teachers and the
principal. They could not find out anything but the teacher started keeping an eye on the
students closely. One day he found one of the students hiding someone’s notebook in Brian’s
drawer. That day the teacher realized that Brian might have been a victim of a conspiracy from
a classmate and that the school has been unfair in his treatment.

 What is the importance of cars and airplanes in modern life? Explain

Answer: I would say that life is unimaginable without the fast modes of transport like cars and
airplanes in today’s fast-paced world. Think of a place without personal cars. It would be
extremely hard to get to work. Maybe public buses are an option but most of the commuters to
work rely on personal vehicles. There would be no travel possible between the far-off places or
countries if there are no airplanes. There would be no tourism and no trade. The economy of
the world will decline to the earliest centuries of human civilization. All the progress that has
been made in the world so far is mostly dependent on the means of transport that connect us
to other regions.
  What Would You Do Otherwise Than Your Parents In Raising Your Children If You Had
Children?
Answer: For me, I believe that parenting is both a challenging and fulfilling task. We cannot
discount our parents' sacrifice and hard work in raising us. Indeed, I am forever indebted to my
parents for their unwavering love and care, but there is one thing I would like to alter for my
children: to instill in them the confidence to face the trials of a changing world. My parents
want me to concentrate on one subject. While I believe children must be multi-skilled. People
who are skilled in many fields have greater chances in today's environment.

 What Role Do Automobiles And Aircraft Have In Modern Life? Explain

Answer: In today's fast-paced world, life would be impossible without rapid forms of
transportation such as vehicles and aircraft. Have you considered a place where no one owns
an automobile? Getting to work would be incredibly difficult. Although public buses are an
alternative, most commuters rely on personal vehicles to go to work. Without aircraft, there
would be no way to travel between far-flung locations or nations. There would be no trade or
tourists. The global economy will regress to the early ages of human civilization. All of the
world's growth thus far has been largely reliant on the modes of transportation that connect us
to other places.

 Describe The Geography Of The Country Where You Currently Live. How Does The
Geography Of The Country Affect Its People And Its Culture?
Answer: Bandung is Indonesia's third most populated city. With its geographical location, the
climate in Bandung is tropical highland monsoon. Bandung's weather is colder than most
Indonesian cities due to its height, making it attractive to tourists. Its proximity to Jakarta makes
it a favorite weekend escape for Jakartans; tourists clog the town arriving from the capital
during holiday seasons. It is the capital of the province of West Java and an essential hub for
Indonesian commercial and economic activity. It is locally known as Kota Kembang, literally
meaning Flowery City, because Bandung had many flowers in the colonial and republic eras
until the early 1960s. The Dutch nicknamed Parijs van Java (Paris of Java) for its resemblance to
Paris and the European atmosphere back in colonial times.”