Many processed food and drink products contain excessive sugar which contribute to a wide range of health issues. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar.
Do you agree or disagree?
3 IELTSbiz learners have answered this Task 2 question and had it marked on the four official criteria; bands ranged from 6 to 6.5, with a median of Band 6.5. Compare the answers below to see exactly what the higher bands did differently.
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These are learner answers, not model answers — including the ones that scored well. Read them for what the criteria reward and punish, not as text to copy. A memorised essay attached to a slightly different question scores worse than an honest attempt, and examiners recognise recited material quickly.
Nowadays, many processed food and drink products contain excessive sugar, which causes a wide range of health problems. Views differ on whether sugary products should be more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. This essay will analyse why I partly agree with this view.
Increasing the price of sugary products can considerably reduce consumption, as people are sensitive to price changes and have to allocate their budget between living expenses and snacks. For instance, if the price of an ice cream rises from $10 to $20, people will change their consumption frequency from eating once a week to once a month. As a result of this decline in consumption, people can reduce their risk of developing health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure.
On the other hand, the measure is only effective for poor people who have a lower income. The wealthy consumers still purchase these products that contain high levels of sugar. Therefore, retailers and manufacturers need to produce food and drinks using healthier sweeteners. For example, Coca-Cola, a renowned company producing various drinks, has a zero-sugar option. If people recognise this is healthier than other drinks, they will increasingly pay more attention to health issues. Therefore, taxation alone cannot reduce consumption across all income groups, so it should be combined with eduction alternatives.
In conclusion, I partly agree that sugary products should be more expensive to reduce consumption. However, it is crucial to make individuals understand how to maintain healthy habits. Both government and businesses need to educate the public.
Nowadays, many processed food and drink products contain excessive sugar, which causes a wide range of health problems. Views differ on whether sugary products should be more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. This essay will analyse why I partly agree with this view.
Increasing the price of sugary products can considerably reduce consumption, as people are sensitive to price changes and have to allocate their budget between life expenses and snacks. For instance, if the price of an ice cream rises from $10 to $20, people will change their consumption frequency from eating once a week to once a month. As a result of this decline in consumption, people can reduce their risk of developing health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure.
On the other hand, the measure is only effective for poor people who have a lower income. The wealthy consumers still purchase these products that contain high levels of sugar. Therefore, retailers and manufacturers need to produce food and drinks using healthier sweeteners. For example, Coca-Cola, a renowned company producing various drinks, has a zero-sugar option. If people recognise this is healthier than other drinks, they will increasingly pay more attention to health issues. Consequently, the government should organise some lectures or put up some advertisements to highlight the importance of reducing purchases of sugary products or, more broadly, manufactured food and drink.
In conclusion, I partly agree that sugary products should be more expensive to reduce consumption. However, It is crucial to make individuals understand how to maintain healthy habits. Both government and businesses need to educate the public.
Nowadays, many processed food and drink products contain excessive sugar, which causes a wide range of health problems. Views differ on whether sugary products should be more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. This essay will analyse why I partly agree with this view.
Increasing the price of sugary products can considerably reduce consumption, as people are sensitive to price changes and have to allocate their salaries between life expenses and snacks. For instance, if the price of an ice cream rises from $10 to $20, people will change their consumption frequency from eating once a week to once a month. As a result of this decline oin consumption, people can reduce their risk of developing health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure.
Nevertheless, the action is effective for poor people who have a lower income. The wealthy consumers also purchase these products that contain high levels of sugar. Retailers and manufacturers need to produce food and drinks using healthier sweeteners. For example, Coca-Cola, a renowned company producing various drinks, has a zero-sugar option. If people recognise this is healthier than other drinks, they will increasingly pay more attention to health issues. As a result, the government should organise some lectures or put up some advertisements to highlight the importance of reducing purchases of sugary products or, more broadly, manufactured food and drink.
In conclusion, I partly agree that sugary products should be more expensive to reduce consumption. It is most important to make individuals understand how to maintain healthy habits. The government and businesses need to educate the public.
What band do answers to this IELTS question usually get?
Across 3 graded answers on IELTSbiz, bands ranged from 6 to 6.5, with a median of Band 6.5. Each was marked on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
What separates the Band 6.5 answer from the Band 6 answer?
The largest difference is Grammatical Range & Accuracy: 7 in the Band 6.5 answer against 6 in the Band 6 answer. Open each answer to read the examiner's reason for every criterion.