Many Museums Charge for Admission While Others Are Free

Lilie King
Written by Lilie

7.5 in Academic Writing

June 1, 2021

Many museums charge for admission while others are free. Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?

This essay question is from Cambridge IELTS 10 Test 4 Writing Task 2.

Sample Essay

Many museums require an admission fee, while others do not. I believe the advantage of this fee far outweighs its disadvantage because, without it, many museums wouldn’t be able to protect their collections well.

On the one hand, entrance fees may discourage people from visiting. For example, in China, all public museums are free to Chinese citizens. So, low-income families who cannot afford places, such as amusement parks and movie theaters, often take their children to museums to spend their weekends. They may stop visiting them if they have to pay to enter. However, according to my observation, most of them go there not to appreciate the exhibits but to enjoy the free air-conditioning. They create noise and overcrowd museums. Therefore, I think a reduction in visitor numbers would not be a bad thing.

On the other hand, admission charges allow museums to better protect their collections. Due to climate change, natural disasters are happening more and more frequently. By charging for admission, museums can afford to use high-tech methods to minimize the impact of these disasters. For instance, with revenue from entrance charges, New York City’s Whitney Museum of American Art was able to build an up-to-date flood wall, which protects its works from potential flooding of the river nearby. I think this is a great advantage for museums because some of their works are masterpieces from the past. Keeping them in good condition is important for our cultural heritage.

In conclusion, although a paid-admission model may deter visitors, I believe this disadvantage is greatly outweighed by the advantage that the money raised helps to fund the upkeep of museums’ collections. (272 Words)

How to Paraphrase “To Charge for Admission”

  • admission fees/charges
  • entrance fees/charges

Example     Entrance fees may discourage people from visiting.

  • a paid-admission model

Example     A paid-admission model may deter visitors.

  • to pay to enter

16 CommentsLeave A Comment

  1. aren’t we suppose to mention more advantages than disadvantages? in the intro you said that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but you mentioned more disadvantages, this does not make sense.

  2. According to british council, if there is plural we have to present two ideas like there is disadvantages not disadvantage. Therefore, we have to write two disadvantage, if not so we will get less band in task achievement because we are unable to fully answer the question. Please make me clear about it.

  3. in the introduction part I have added this : A group of museums requires an entry fee, while others do not hold this requirement. Although there are some benefits of this latter perspective as the lower class of people can engage themselves in learning from this vital house of knowledge, I strongly believe that for conservation and protection reasons advantages override disadvantages.

  4. Nicely done!
    Can I write two main topics to only focus on advantages for the two detailed paragraphs?

    So the intro would be:
    “It is often argued whether or not museums should have free admission. While some people may be discouraged from visiting museums due to their cost, having a particular amount of fee is beneficial for the value of the museum and provides a way to fund these museums.”

  5. Hello, I could not hold myself from commenting. You are the best. I have read many essays but yours’ are exceptional as well as simple.

    1. i agree with you… special thanks lile apu. i am a beginner. your writing skill and your concept are easy and thought full..

  6. in the introductory paragraph, you mentioned that being free is beneficial, but in bodies, you supported another idea.

    1. No, I didn’t. In Body Paragraph 2, I first discussed the potential disadvantage and then argued that this disadvantage isn’t a big deal. My opinion is consistent throughout the essay.

    1. Thank you for the essay though not so comfortable with repeating of certains such as ‘ on the other hand” and ” collections”

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