In many countries, plastic containers have become more common than ever and are used by many food and drink companies. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
Plastic containers and cutleries are becoming a ubiquitous part of the eating-out experience. However, I do think that the disadvantages of using plastic in the food and drink industries outweigh the advantages of doing so.
On the one hand, using plastic is convenient for both street vendors and consumers. Most plastic containers can be discarded after a single-use, eliminating the need to wash them. Moreover, plastic does not break easily in contrast to glass containers, making them easier to carry around. Another reason is that plastic containers and cutleries are dirt cheap to produce. Because the materials needed to synthesize plastics are readily available, most plastic containers are at a lower price than their alternatives, especially in bulk.
On the other hand, however, using plastics to store food can pose both a health and an environmental risk. Firstly, most plastic containers end up in the ocean, which will damage marine life. Fish can swallow these plastic cutleries, cannot digest them, and thus die. Plastic is also detrimental to landfills as they decompose relatively slowly, leading to landfill overloads. Secondly, consuming food and drinks using plastic can be harmful. Plastics are known to melt and release toxic compounds when heated, so they should not be used to store hot foods. Another concern is that some plastics contain carcinogens. This means that consumers are at a higher risk of developing cancer.
In conclusion, convenience and low prices are reasons why people use plastics to store food and drinks. However, I think that the disadvantages of plastic to the environment and consumers’ health far overweigh the advantages of plastics.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use uncountable noun Original: cutleries Suggested revision: cutlery Why it matters: “Cutlery” is uncountable and does not take the plural form “cutleries.”
- 2. Use natural phrasing Original: eating-out experience Suggested revision: experience of eating out Why it matters: This phrasing is more natural when describing the general activity.
- 3. Remove incorrect hyphen Original: after a single-use Suggested revision: after a single use Why it matters: “Single use” is a noun phrase here, so it should not be hyphenated.
- 4. Name the relationship Original: reason Suggested revision: advantage Why it matters: “Advantage” links the point explicitly to the paragraph’s purpose.
- 5. Correct form and register Original: containers and cutleries are dirt cheap Suggested revision: containers and cutlery are inexpensive Why it matters: The revision corrects the uncountable noun and replaces an overly informal expression.
- 6. Use precise production term Original: synthesize plastics Suggested revision: manufacture plastic products Why it matters: “Manufacture” is the more natural verb for producing containers and cutlery.
- 7. Correct comparative form Original: are at a lower price Suggested revision: are cheaper Why it matters: “Are cheaper than” is the natural comparative structure before “their alternatives.”
- 8. Remove duplicate contrast Original: On the other hand, however Suggested revision: On the other hand Why it matters: The two markers perform the same contrasting function, so one is sufficient.
- 9. Improve parallel structure Original: both a health and an environmental risk Suggested revision: both health and environmental risks Why it matters: The plural noun matches the two distinct types of risk more clearly.
- 10. Clarify result link Original: which will damage marine life Suggested revision: thereby damaging marine life Why it matters: “Thereby” connects the environmental consequence directly to plastic entering the ocean.
- 11. Correct semantic relation Original: detrimental to landfills Suggested revision: a major burden on landfills Why it matters: Plastic burdens landfill capacity rather than harming the landfill itself.
- 12. Fix pronoun agreement Original: as they decompose Suggested revision: because it decomposes Why it matters: The singular pronoun agrees with the subject “Plastic.”
Suggested Rewrites
- cutleries cutlery
- eating-out experience experience of eating out
- after a single-use after a single use
- reason advantage
- containers and cutleries are dirt cheap containers and cutlery are inexpensive
- synthesize plastics manufacture plastic products
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is strongest in its clear position and balanced organization of practical benefits against environmental and health costs, with each side supported by relevant explanations. Its main limitation is imprecise wording and several overly categorical claims, which reduce the authority of otherwise clear ideas. Use more accurate topic vocabulary and qualify claims about disposal, decomposition, and health effects with more specific reasoning.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The essay answers the question directly, maintains a clear position, and develops relevant advantages and disadvantages with supporting explanations.
Develop the comparison more critically by explaining why the environmental and health harms outweigh the convenience and cost benefits, rather than mainly listing them.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-paragraph structure is clear and progression is easy to follow, with ideas grouped logically and cohesive devices used appropriately.
Strengthen the internal progression of the disadvantages paragraph by connecting each example more explicitly to the overall weighing judgment.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of topic-specific vocabulary, though inaccurate forms and collocations such as “cutleries” and “overweigh” reduce precision.
Use accurate uncountable forms and natural evaluative collocations, particularly “cutlery” and “far outweigh,” and avoid imprecise statements about landfills.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is handled with generally good control, but several agreement and reference problems remain noticeable.
Check pronoun agreement and clause reference carefully, especially in sentences where plural plastics or containers are followed by singular pronouns.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In many countries, plastic containers have become more common than ever and are used by many food and drink companies. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.