Some people think it is better for one single legal system throughout the world. Others say countries should have their own law. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Sample Response
The question of whether there should be a single global legal system or whether each country should retain its own legal framework is a contentious issue. While some argue that a unified legal system would bring consistency and justice across borders, I believe that each country should maintain its own legal system to reflect cultural diversity and national sovereignty.
On the one hand, proponents of a single global legal system argue that it could foster international harmony and cooperation. A uniform set of laws would ensure consistent principles of justice across the globe, potentially making the world a safer place for citizens and businesses. For instance, a universal legal system could address transnational issues like human rights violations or environmental protection more effectively, ensuring that all countries adhere to the same standards. Moreover, it could simplify international trade and diplomacy by removing legal ambiguities that arise from differing national laws. With a common legal framework, countries would be able to resolve conflicts and disputes more swiftly, reducing the potential for misunderstandings and tensions.
On the other hand, I would argue that countries should maintain their own legal systems to better reflect cultural differences and sovereign needs. Regarding the former, legal systems are deeply influenced by a nation's values, traditions, and way of life, which vary significantly across the world. For example, issues like family law, criminal justice, and even concepts of personal freedom can differ widely between cultures. A single global legal system could undermine these cultural differences, imposing one set of values that might not be suitable for all countries. Additionally, maintaining sovereignty over legal matters allows nations to address issues that are specific to their citizens' needs. National legal systems can be more adaptable and responsive to the unique challenges faced by each country, which a global system may struggle to address adequately.
In conclusion, while the idea of a single legal system across the world offers the potential for greater consistency and international cooperation, I believe that the diverse needs and values of individual nations should be respected.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use precise verb Original: bring Suggested revision: promote Why it matters: Promote expresses the system's proposed effect more precisely than bring.
- 2. Refine the collocation Original: principles Suggested revision: standards Why it matters: Standards of justice is the more natural collocation for uniform legal expectations.
- 3. Use formal exemplification Original: issues like human rights violations Suggested revision: issues such as human rights violations Why it matters: Such as introduces examples in a more formal academic register.
- 4. Avoid overstatement Original: removing Suggested revision: reducing Why it matters: Reducing is more precise because a common framework may not eliminate every ambiguity.
- 5. Remove redundancy Original: conflicts and disputes Suggested revision: disputes Why it matters: The two nouns overlap in meaning here, so one is sufficient.
- 6. Clarify sovereignty idea Original: sovereign needs Suggested revision: national sovereignty Why it matters: National sovereignty states the intended concept more naturally than sovereign needs.
- 7. Make reference explicit Original: Regarding the former Suggested revision: Regarding cultural differences Why it matters: Naming the referenced idea makes the transition immediately clear.
- 8. Choose accurate verb Original: undermine Suggested revision: disregard Why it matters: Disregard more accurately describes imposing rules that fail to respect cultural variation.
- 9. Tighten the phrasing Original: issues that are specific to their citizens' needs Suggested revision: their citizens' specific needs Why it matters: The revision removes the awkward claim that issues are specific to needs.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: The question of whether there should be a single global legal system or whether each country should retain its own legal framework is a contentious issue. Suggested revision: The question of whether the world should have a single legal system or each country should retain its own framework is contentious. Why it matters: This revision removes repetitive wording while preserving the original contrast.
Suggested Rewrites
- bring promote
- principles standards
- issues like human rights violations issues such as human rights violations
- removing reducing
- conflicts and disputes disputes
- sovereign needs national sovereignty
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its balanced, well-developed treatment of both positions, supported by a clear and consistent preference for national legal systems. The main limitation is that some supporting points remain broad and one internal reference is slightly imprecise. To improve further, sharpen the examples and make every transition identify its referent explicitly, giving the argument even greater precision and authority.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are fully addressed through relevant, extended reasoning, and the writer's opinion is clear throughout.
Make one example more concrete by showing how a particular national law reflects a specific cultural or sovereign need.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are sequenced smoothly within a clear paragraph structure, and cohesive devices generally guide the reader unobtrusively.
Replace the slightly ambiguous reference in 'Regarding the former' with the exact idea being developed.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and flexible, with sophisticated legal and international terminology used naturally.
Reduce repetition of central task terms by using carefully chosen references where clarity can be fully maintained.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled with strong control, and virtually all sentences are error-free.
Refine punctuation and clause rhythm in the longest sentences to make an already accurate response still more effortless to read.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think it is better for one single legal system throughout the world. Others say countries should have their own law. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.