The world is consuming natural resources faster than they can be renewed. Therefore, it is important that products are made to last. Governments should discourage people from constantly buying up-to-date or fashionable products. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
The issue of 'sustainable consumption and production' is becoming increasingly pressing as the world's population continues to grow and natural resources are depleted faster than they can be renewed. Therefore, I completely agree with the statement that products should be made to last and that governments should discourage people from constantly buying all latest or fashionable products.
One of the main reasons why products should be made to last is to reduce the amount of waste that is produced. When people constantly buy new products, they are essentially throwing away the old ones, which contributes to the growing problem of waste disposal. This waste often ends up in landfills, where it takes years to decompose and can have negative environmental impacts.
In addition, making products that are designed to last longer can also help to reduce the amount of resources that are used in manufacturing. If products are made to last, they will need to be replaced less often, which means that fewer resources will be needed to produce new products. This can have a positive impact on the environment, as it reduces the need for new resource extraction and can help to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
Furthermore, encouraging people to buy fewer products can also have positive social impacts. When people are constantly buying new products, they are often driven by a desire to keep up with the latest trends, which can create a culture of consumerism that prioritizes material possessions over other important values. By encouraging people to value durability and longevity over novelty and fashion, governments can help to promote more sustainable and responsible attitudes towards consumption.
In conclusion, products should be made to last and that governments should take steps to discourage people from constantly buying new products. Doing so can have positive environmental, social, and economic impacts, and is essential for ensuring a sustainable future for the planet.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove unnecessary quotation marks Original: 'sustainable consumption and production' Suggested revision: sustainable consumption and production Why it matters: This established concept does not need quotation marks in the sentence.
- 2. Fix determiner and parallelism Original: constantly buying all latest or fashionable products Suggested revision: constantly buying the latest or most fashionable products Why it matters: Latest requires the definite article, and most creates a parallel superlative phrase.
- 3. Make wording concise Original: amount of waste that is produced Suggested revision: amount of waste produced Why it matters: The reduced phrase conveys the same meaning more directly.
- 4. Use precise wording Original: are essentially throwing away the old ones Suggested revision: are effectively discarding the old ones Why it matters: Discarding is more precise and formal than throwing away in this context.
- 5. Use concise collocation Original: negative environmental impacts Suggested revision: adverse environmental effects Why it matters: Adverse environmental effects expresses the idea more concisely.
- 6. Reduce wordiness Original: making products that are designed to last longer Suggested revision: designing products to last longer Why it matters: The revision removes an unnecessary passive construction.
- 7. Make wording concise Original: amount of resources that are used in manufacturing Suggested revision: resources used in manufacturing Why it matters: The shorter noun phrase retains the full meaning without repetition.
- 8. Choose accurate modifier Original: new Suggested revision: further Why it matters: Further more accurately describes additional extraction of resources.
- 9. Use natural collocation Original: impacts Suggested revision: effects Why it matters: Social effects is the more natural collocation for consequences in this context.
- 10. Use direct wording Original: pressing Suggested revision: urgent Why it matters: Urgent states the growing seriousness of the issue more directly.
- 11. Make opening concise Original: One of the main reasons why Suggested revision: One main reason Why it matters: The shorter phrase introduces the reason without unnecessary words.
- 12. Tighten the phrase Original: growing problem of waste disposal Suggested revision: mounting waste-disposal problem Why it matters: The revision is more concise while retaining the idea of an increasing problem.
Suggested Rewrites
- 'sustainable consumption and production' sustainable consumption and production
- constantly buying all latest or fashionable products constantly buying the latest or most fashionable products
- amount of waste that is produced amount of waste produced
- are essentially throwing away the old ones are effectively discarding the old ones
- negative environmental impacts adverse environmental effects
- making products that are designed to last longer designing products to last longer
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response maintains a clear position and develops three relevant, logically sequenced reasons, with generally fluent and accurate language. Its main limitation is that support remains broad and largely illustrative rather than grounded in specific examples, while a few grammatical slips weaken an otherwise polished presentation. The highest-priority improvement is to develop each major claim with a concrete example or more precise causal detail.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear position is sustained and the main environmental and social reasons are relevant and developed, although support is somewhat general.
Add a specific example or more detailed causal explanation to substantiate each principal reason.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, though the organisational pattern and linking language are somewhat predictable.
Create smoother links between related claims and vary transitions so the progression feels less formulaic.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise for sustainability and consumerism, with a few awkward combinations such as ‘all latest products’.
Refine article use and collocations while replacing repeated uses of ‘products’ with precise context-appropriate alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures is handled accurately overall, with only occasional errors in coordination and articles.
Proofread coordinated clauses carefully, especially constructions such as the grammatically uneven concluding sentence.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The world is consuming natural resources faster than they can be renewed. Therefore, it is important that products are made to last. Governments should discourage people from constantly buying up-to-date or fashionable products. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.