IELTS Expert 5: Unit 6B - Writing Task 2 (Understand the task)

What have you bought recently? Why did you buy these things?

Do you ever buy things you don't really need? If so, what made you buy them?

Read the writing task and underline the key words.

Choose the correct answer in the question below.

What do you need to write about?

• how often people today buy new things

• whether people today think too much about shopping

• how important buying new things is for you

Read the model answer. Does the student agree or disagree with the statement in the task?

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It is often said today that people spend too much time thinking about what they are going to buy next rather than more important aspects of life. I very much agree that modern society has become too commercial.

Firstly, I think this focus on buying things is bad for the individual person. If someone is always thinking about when they can upgrade their mobile phone or buy the latest fashion of clothes, then they are not taking the time to enjoy what they actually have. In addition, thinking about or shopping for new things all the time can be a waste of both money and time. There are certainly more constructive ways for people to spend their time, such as reading, doing sport or, more importantly, being with friends and family.

Secondly, getting new things also has negative consequences for society in general. For a start, many valuable resources are used to make things that no one really needs. Those resources will then not be available for people to use in the future. As well as this, wanting new things makes people throw away lots of items like last year's model of phone or handbag. Although these things may still be perfectly good, we no longer want them. As a result, there are mountains of rubbish near every town and city. All this is wasteful and has a very negative effect on the environment.

Therefore, even though I too sometimes enjoy buying new things, I agree with the statement that shopping has become too important in modern society. This approach to life has a negative impact on both the individual and the environment.

• AGREE

• DISAGREE

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