Some feel executives in large companies should receive high salaries while others think they are paid too much compared to ordinary workers. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
Many believe that high-ranking executiveshigh-ranking executive positions deserve their exorbitant salaries, while others feel they are paid disproportionately more than ordinary workersearn disproportionately compared to normal workers. In my opinion, outsized compensation is unreasonable when considered in isolationunreasonable in a vacuum but makes sense given market dictates.
Detractors often argue the pay ratios are unjustifiablethe ratios defy justification. Recent publications have quoted figures showing executive positions, and CEOs in particular, makes hundreds of times what the average worker does. This includes their various remuneration packages and bonuses. It is hard to claim these paymentsthis money is deserved. Many CEOs work longer hours and graduated from top schools but their tangible impact can be marginal relative to the key driving forces behind product development and the many hard-working employees required for a business to thrive. Even the most ardent supporters of these practices would not claim their output is hundreds of times higher than a normal employee.
Nonetheless, this practice follows basic principles of supply and demand. The simple fact is that there is a large supply of workersnearly endless supply of average individuals to staff entry-level positions but capable executives are rarer. These high-ranking jobs require an extraordinary commitment in terms of hours that most are unwilling to invest and exceptional personalcharacter qualities ranging from leadership skills to raw intelligence. Since the top positions in a company are hard to fill and the company has the finances to pay premium wages, it is logical that executive salaries outrage many workers and their bonuses that appear unjust. In fact, these payments have little to do with justice and more to do withhave little relationship with justice and more to do with the economic realities of capitalism.
In conclusion, though their salaries seem outlandish, executives are more difficult to replace and deserve higher pay. This is an uncomfortablebut crucial, but crucial, truth for the average person to accept.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a clear, nuanced position and develops both sides with persuasive reasoning, supported by strong control of structure and vocabulary. Its main limitation is a small number of grammatical and syntactic lapses, including agreement and one awkwardly constructed sentence, which briefly reduce precision. The highest-priority improvement is to proofread complex sentences for clear clause relationships and accurate subject–verb agreement.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are directly addressed through well-developed reasoning, and the writer's nuanced position remains clear throughout.
Strengthen the discussion further with one specific, credible example illustrating how executive decisions create exceptional value.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices generally used smoothly and unobtrusively.
Clarify the logical connection within the sentence about salaries outraging workers so its final clauses do not compete for meaning.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise vocabulary conveys complex economic arguments naturally, with only isolated awkward phrasing.
Refine a few expressions such as references to a normal employee to achieve consistently exact and appropriately formal wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is handled accurately overall, although occasional agreement and sentence-construction errors remain.
Check subject–verb agreement and clause coordination carefully, especially in long sentences containing several linked ideas.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some feel executives in large companies should receive high salaries while others think they are paid too much compared to ordinary workers. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.