Squander – Word Of The Day For IELTS

Squander – Word Of The Day For IELTS For Speaking And Writing 

Squander /skwɑːndər/ (Verb)

Meaning:

to carelessly waste money, time, opportunities etc

Synonyms:

Spend, Waste, Splash out.

Collocations:

• With noun: Chance, Money, Time, Opportunity

Examples:

• The home team squandered a number of chances in the first half.
• They squandered the profits on expensive cars.
• England squandered a golden opportunity to score, seconds before the final whistle.
• His family felt he had squandered his musical talent.

Exercise:

Try to use this word “squander” in your writing

IELTS Writing Actual Test in June, 2016 

Some people think it is more important for government to spend public money on promoting healthy lifestyle in order to prevent illness than to spend it on the treatment of people who are already ill. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Sample Essay:

It is undeniable that the government plays a crucial role in healthcare services. However, people have different viewpoints towards whether the government should invest into raising citizens’ awareness of healthy living or allocate health funds for the the unwell.  From my perspective, I strongly agree that the government should devote their money and time to promoting healthy lifestyles rather than squander money on those who are suffering from terminal illness.

To lead people to live a healthy lifestyle is a huge challenge for many primary care practices. In the rural areas, many people fall prey to easily avoidable diseases mainly because they are not aware of how to prevent them. Therefore, enlightening people about a healthy lifestyle can remove the existence of many diseases from the roots. For example, ‘polio vaccine campaign’ has been conducted extensively, with the help of mainstream media as well. As a result, as of today, India is a completely polio-free country. If the clinicians of medical centres are encouraged to use educational tools to emphasise personal fitness levels and to promote fitness as the “treatment of choice” for all patients, the proportion of the sick people can be greatly reduced.

There is no doubt that there will always be a certain number of people who are ill and in need of treatment simply because they cannot afford it. The governments do have a certain fund for the fulfilment of this need, but practically speaking it shall put an unnecessary deficit in the money that could be used elsewhere. This is because the cost of treating any disease will always be more than the money spent on preventing it. Moreover, logically, the government can be accountable for the state of health of its citizens, but it cannot be held accountable for the diseases sustained by its people.

In conclusion, I’d agree more with the idea of the government spending a part of nation budget on promoting a healthy lifestyle.