One of the most important issues facing the world today is a shortage of food and some think genetically modified foods are a possible solution. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
To tackle food shortages, many scientists recommend genetically modified (GM) food as a solution. Despite some concerns regarding this solution, I strongly believe that this is the future for food security.
The first benefit that GM foods offer is that they haveis that it has significantly higher yieldsyield compared to traditional crops. GM foods have their genes altered to grow more quicklyreproduce their cells quicker, leading to faster crop productionproductions. FurthermoreAlso, GM foods are capable of withstanding harsh environments, such as in harsh winters and dry summersduring winters and dry summers. Another benefit of GM cropsAnother benefit of consuming more GM foods is that they require fewer pesticides, Deletecontrary to popular belief. Because scientists design GM foods to be resistant to common pests, farmers do not need to spray pesticides as regularly as they would when growing traditional cropsas they would growing traditional crops.
However, despite these benefits, there are some concerns that researchers should addressrevisit before expanding the use of GM foodsbefore populating GM foods. The first concern is the impact that GM crops haveimpact GM crops have on the ecosystem. Because these crops are known to be resistant to pests, it could lead to the eradication of pest species. As a result, this couldcan disrupt the ecosystem’s balance. The second concern is that, due to GM crops’ high efficiency and rapid growth, they can easily become invasive under poor farming practicesbecome an invasive species with unhealthy farming practices. This problem, aside from damaging the ecosystem, also has adverse economic effectsadverse effects on the economy. For example, if a plot designated for growing a particular cropone plot destined to grow a certain plant isgets invaded by another species, farmers will experience a loss of income.
In conclusion, although admittedly, there are some legitimate concerns for GM foods, I still strongly agree that GM crops are the most feasible solution to the global food shortage.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay offers a clear, consistent position and develops a substantial case through relevant benefits, risks, and a concrete economic example, all arranged with strong progression. Its main weakness is imprecise language in several otherwise sophisticated sentences, including awkward descriptions of production and crop spread; the highest-priority improvement is to refine collocations and grammatical reference so the nuanced argument reads with consistently natural precision.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear throughout and the response develops relevant advantages and concerns in enough detail to answer the question convincingly.
Tie the discussion of ecological risks more explicitly to why GM crops remain the most feasible response to food shortages.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are sequenced clearly within focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader without obscuring the argument.
Make the concessive relationship between the benefits and concerns even tighter by explicitly weighing them before the conclusion.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and topic-specific, but several collocations and word forms, such as 'crop productions' and 'populating GM foods', are imprecise.
Review noun forms and established agricultural collocations to replace awkward phrasing with more natural, exact choices.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The essay uses a wide range of sentence structures with good control, although occasional agreement, pronoun-reference, and comparison errors remain.
Check plural agreement and reference consistently, particularly when 'GM foods' or 'crops' is followed by a singular pronoun.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
One of the most important issues facing the world today is a shortage of food and some think genetically modified foods are a possible solution. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.