In some cases people who break the law should be warned instead of receiving punishment. Do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Whether warnings should replace legal punishments in certain cases has become a topic of debate. In my viewFrom my viewpoint, I firmly believe thatfirmly advocate the idea that minor offenses and first-time offenders should receive warnings instead of prosecutioncan be diverted from prosecution.
On the one hand, it is undeniable that punishment is necessarypunishments are imperative in some instances. First, punishment is effective in upholdingpunishments are efficacious in upholding the legal system. By instilling fear of retribution in potential criminals, punishments help deter wrongdoingdissuade wrongdoings, thus ensuring security in societysecurity for the society. Secondly, punishments are appropriate consequences for repeat offendersjust desserts for re-offenders. This is because they were well-aware of the consequences of their crimes, yet they decided to reoffendfall back into old habits. For these recidivists, education alone would be insufficient sowhile stronger punitive measures should be imposed.
On the other hand, diverting first-time and minor offenders from prosecution has some benefits for crime preventionhas some positives in preventing crimes. Firstly, diversion will save law-enforcement authoritieslegal enforcers time and effort. Sometimes, trivial cases such as shoplifting will get low-level penalties even if they are brought to court. Therefore, by issuing warningsgiving out notices for minor offences, the police can allocate more time to serious crimesallot more time for more serious crimes. Furthermore, rehabilitative measures can help reduce crime rateshave positive impacts on reducing crime rates. Sometimes, people who break laws are unintentional, in these cases, proper education is appropriate. For instance, research conducteda research conducted in London in 2015 found thathas proven that those cautioned were 50 percent less likely to reoffend as compared to those who were fined by a court. Moreover, warnings give young adults a greater chance to grow out of crime, since having a clean record will open them up to many job opportunities instead of resorting to crime to make a living.
All in all, though punishments are needed to sustain the legal system, I believe that giving warnings is more effective in discouraging lawbreakers.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear, well-qualified position and supports it with a logically developed contrast between cases requiring punishment and those suited to warnings. Its main limitation is occasional imprecise or unnatural wording in otherwise strong language, alongside a few grammatical lapses. Prioritise more idiomatic legal collocations and careful sentence-level proofreading while retaining the focused argument and relevant support.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully addresses the proposition with a clear qualified position and well-developed reasons for treating minor or first-time offenders differently from recidivists.
Strengthen the final claim by restating the precise conditions under which warnings are preferable instead of generalising about all lawbreakers.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a balanced two-sided structure, with clear paragraphing and generally well-managed cohesive devices.
Reduce formulaic sequencing such as First, Secondly, and Firstly by using more implicit links between supporting points.
Lexical Resource
A wide legal-policy vocabulary conveys meaning precisely overall, although several collocations such as legal enforcers and dissuade wrongdoings sound unnatural.
Use idiomatic choices such as law-enforcement officers and deter wrongdoing, and check noun forms carefully.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures with good control, but errors including a research and a comma splice remain noticeable.
Proofread article use and sentence boundaries, especially when joining explanatory clauses.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In some cases people who break the law should be warned instead of receiving punishment. Do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.