Is freedom of speech necessary in a free society?
Sample Response
In the last decade, there has been considerable debate over the role of free speech in a free society. Some object to absolute freedom of speech. Others advocate free speech, arguing that freedom of speech is the singlethe freedom of speech is the single most important political right of citizens in a civilized society. Whilst I believe that there are strong arguments on both sides, I would suggest that freedom of speech should be protected in all but extreme circumstances. Freedom of speech is importantThe freedom of speech is important at every level of societyat all levels in a society. Yet it is most important for governmentsfor the governments. A government which does not know what itsthe people feel and think is in a dangerous position. This is how the communist regimes of Eastern Europe were toppled in the 1980s. The same is happening again in other regions of the world today. Governments thatThe governments that muzzle free speech run thea risk of pushing their people to behave destructively or to rebel. Furthermore, without free speech no political action is possible and no resistance to injustice and oppression is possible. Without free speech, electionsWithout free speech elections would have no meaning at all. Candidates' policiesPolicies of contestants become known to the public and become responsive to public opinion only by virtue of free speech. Between elections the freely expressed opinions of citizens help restrain oppressive rule. Without this freedom it is futile to expect political freedom or consequently economic freedom. In conclusion, I believe that the importance of free speech as a basic and valuable characteristic of a free society cannot be underestimated. It may be challenging for society to allow differences of opinion to be expressed openlydifferences of opinion out into the open; however, the consequences of restricting free speech are likely to be more damaging in the longer term.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear, well-supported case for protecting free speech, with particularly effective explanation of its role in government accountability, elections, and resistance to oppression. Its main weakness is the absence of paragraph divisions, which makes an otherwise logical argument feel unnecessarily dense. Organise the introduction, supporting reasons, and conclusion into distinct paragraphs, and briefly explain the stated exception for extreme circumstances.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear qualified position is sustained through relevant and well-developed reasons concerning accountability, political participation, and resistance to oppression.
Briefly define the extreme circumstances in which restriction might be justified so the qualification in the position is fully developed.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through connected reasons, but presenting the entire response as one paragraph obscures the stages of the argument.
Separate the introduction, main lines of reasoning, and conclusion into distinct paragraphs with clear central purposes.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and appropriately formal, with effective choices for discussing political rights and oppressive government.
Refine the few less natural choices, particularly references to governments and election candidates, to make the wording consistently idiomatic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide variety of complex structures is controlled accurately, with only a few minor article and punctuation lapses.
Proofread article use in general statements and add punctuation where it would clarify longer sentences.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Is freedom of speech necessary in a free society?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.