IELTS Writing Task 2: Fast Fashion - Band 6.5 Sample with Full Breakdown
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The Prompt
Many people believe that fast fashion is harmful to the environment and society. Others argue that it has economic benefits. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Band 6.5 Model Answer
Fast fashion has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many people arguing that it is damaging to the environment and society. However, others believe that it has significant economic benefits. This essay will discuss both views before presenting my opinion.
On one hand, fast fashion has several negative impacts. First, it contributes to environmental problems. The production of cheap clothing often involves harmful chemicals and excessive water usage. Additionally, many fast fashion items are not biodegradable, leading to waste accumulation in landfills. Second, it promotes a culture of overconsumption, where people buy clothes they do not need, leading to financial problems and waste.
On the other hand, fast fashion has economic advantages. It creates jobs in manufacturing and retail sectors, boosting economic growth. Moreover, it makes fashionable clothing affordable for a larger population, allowing people to keep up with trends without spending a lot of money. This can also stimulate other industries, such as advertising and marketing.
In my opinion, the negative impacts of fast fashion outweigh the economic benefits. While it is true that it creates jobs and makes fashion affordable, the environmental and social costs are too high. Governments and consumers should prioritize sustainable fashion to mitigate these issues.
Scoring Breakdown
**Task Response: Band 6
- Presents a clear position but with some limitations in development
- Provides relevant supporting ideas but with some irrelevant or insufficient points
**Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6
- Uses a mix of cohesive devices effectively but with some overuse or underuse
- Logical organization with some inconsistencies in paragraphing
**Lexical Resource: Band 7
- Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey ideas effectively
- Some less common lexical items are used appropriately
- Some repetition and less precise vocabulary may occur
**Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6
- Uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms
- Makes some errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling but they do not impede understanding
Vocabulary Highlights
- Environmental problems (noun phrase) - Issues related to the natural world and the impact of human activity
- Example: Fast fashion contributes to various environmental problems.
- Overconsumption (noun) - The act of consuming too much of a resource
- Example: Fast fashion promotes a culture of overconsumption.
- Biodegradable (adjective) - Capable of being decomposed by living organisms
- Example: Many fast fashion items are not biodegradable.
- Economic growth (noun phrase) - An increase in the production of goods and services in an economy
- Example: Fast fashion boosts economic growth.
- Affordable (adjective) - Inexpensive; easy to afford
- Example: Fast fashion makes fashionable clothing affordable.
- Sustainable fashion (noun phrase) - Clothing that is designed, manufactured, and used in ways that minimize environmental impact
- Example: Governments should prioritize sustainable fashion.
- Mitigate (verb) - To make less severe, serious, or painful
- Example: Sustainable fashion can mitigate environmental issues.
- Manufacturing (noun) - The production of goods in large quantities, especially by machinery
- Example: Fast fashion creates jobs in manufacturing.
- Retail sectors (noun phrase) - The part of the economy that deals with the sale of goods to consumers
- Example: Fast fashion creates jobs in retail sectors.
- Stimulate (verb) - To encourage or arouse interest or activity
- Example: Fast fashion can stimulate other industries.
- Advertising (noun) - The activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services
- Example: Fast fashion stimulates the advertising industry.
- Marketing (noun) - The action or business of promoting and selling products or services
- Example: Fast fashion stimulates the marketing industry.
- Chemicals (noun) - Substances with distinct molecular composition
- Example: The production of cheap clothing often involves harmful chemicals.
- Excessive water usage (noun phrase) - The use of water in amounts greater than what is necessary or desirable
- Example: Fast fashion often involves excessive water usage.
- Waste accumulation (noun phrase) - The buildup of discarded materials
- Example: Fast fashion leads to waste accumulation in landfills.
- Financial problems (noun phrase) - Issues related to money and economic resources
- Example: Overconsumption can lead to financial problems.
- Trends (noun) - General directions in which something is developing or changing
- Example: Fast fashion allows people to keep up with trends.
- Governments (noun) - The group of people that officially represent a community or country
- Example: Governments should prioritize sustainable fashion.
- Consumers (noun) - People who purchase goods and services for personal use
- Example: Consumers should prioritize sustainable fashion.
- Mitigating issues (noun phrase) - Reducing the severity of problems
- Example: Sustainable fashion can help mitigate environmental issues.
Common Mistakes
- Lack of Clear Position: Some test-takers fail to present a clear opinion, leading to a lower score in Task Response.
- Insufficient Development: Many responses provide relevant ideas but do not develop them sufficiently, resulting in a lower score in Coherence and Cohesion.
- Repetition of Vocabulary: Using the same words repeatedly can lower the score in Lexical Resource. Test-takers should aim to use a variety of vocabulary.
- Grammatical Errors: Common grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement mistakes and incorrect tense usage, can lower the score in Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
- Poor Organization: Some responses lack clear paragraphing and logical flow, which can affect the score in Coherence and Cohesion.
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