In many countries, the government prioritises economic growth above all other concerns. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this.

Same questionCompare 2 different answers (Band 7)

Sample Response

1

Economic growth is a sphere that receives more attention than any other national domain in many states all over the world. The principal benefits of this phenomenon are lower unemployment and wealthier citizens, and the main downsides are a higher cost of living for most peoplehigher costs of living for most and insufficient support for the poorest.

2

On the one hand, what makes that prioritizing economic expansion is beneficial for the public is the fact that fever residents remain unemployed. This is because governments encourage the establishment ofboost establishing various businesses, which will require a large workforce to operatemany workers to operate. In addition, not only does a country become more powerful economically, but also many residents have an opportunity to become affluent. When companies generate higher profitsgenerate more profit, it affectsreflects how much money employees can make. In Poland, for example, 30 years after communism collapsed, average salaries offered for middle-management positionsa middle-management position have tripled.

3

On the other hand, as a country’s economy thrives, the cost of living increasescosts of living increase. One reason could be thatThe most compelling reason for that could be the fact that since workers are paid more, the services they provide become more expensivetheir services become more expensive, which results in higher prices forof many products. Moreover, in many cases, a state that prioritises its economya state whose main priority is its economy offers little support for those who need it. If authorities believe that a strong economy is of the greatest importance, they are rather reluctant to offer help to those who do not contribute to the nation’s prosperity. To illustrate, when Donald Trump, who was a strong advocate of economic growtha big advocate of a strong economy, became president of the USAbecame the president of the USA, funding for unemployed migrants was cutthe funds for jobless migrants were caught.

4

In conclusion, as with anything in life, prioritizing economic growth by authorities has its pros and cons. While more people have jobsWhile more have jobs that allow them to become wealthy, the cost of living is risingcosts of living are going up, and those who need to rely on the welfare systemthe social care system are marginalized.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response is strongest in its balanced, clearly signposted treatment of employment, prosperity, living costs, and social support, with relevant explanation and examples. Its main limitation is recurring awkward or inaccurate language, including collocations and sentence structures that sometimes weaken precision, while one supporting example is questionable. Prioritise accurate phrasing and cleaner complex sentences, then make each example more credible and explicitly tied to the argument.

Band score breakdown

IELTS Writing Criteria Scores

TR

Task Response

7.0
Scoring rule

The response addresses both advantages and disadvantages clearly and develops each side with relevant explanations and examples.

Next step

Use a more credible, precisely explained example for reduced social support and show exactly how it proves the claimed disadvantage.

CC

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0
Scoring rule

The essay progresses logically through a clear introduction, two focused body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion, with generally effective linking.

Next step

Make connections within sentences more natural and avoid formulaic transitions where the logical relationship is already clear.

LR

Lexical Resource

6.5
Scoring rule

Vocabulary is sufficiently varied for the topic, but several inaccurate collocations and word choices reduce precision.

Next step

Replace awkward combinations such as references to boosting business establishment or funds being caught with natural, context-appropriate phrasing.

GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

6.5
Scoring rule

A range of complex structures is attempted successfully, though recurring errors in clause construction and comparative phrasing remain noticeable.

Next step

Proofread complex sentence frames carefully, especially cleft structures, correlative constructions, and subject-verb agreement.

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IELTS Writing Task 2

In many countries, the government prioritises economic growth above all other concerns. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this.

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