IELTS Writing Task 2: International Trade (Advantages Disadvantages) — Band 6/7/8/9 Model Answers
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The Prompt
Paraphrased Prompt: Many countries rely heavily on international trade for economic growth. However, some argue that it causes more harm than good. Discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of international trade and give your opinion.
Model Answers
Band 6.0 Answer
Advantages: International trade allows countries to access goods and services they cannot produce domestically. For example, oil-rich nations trade oil for technology. Disadvantages: Trade can lead to job losses in industries that cannot compete with imports. For instance, local textile industries may close when cheaper foreign textiles arrive. In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because trade promotes economic growth.
Scoring Breakdown:
- Task Response: 5.0 - Presents a position but lacks development.
- Coherence and Cohesion: 6.0 - Ideas are logically organized but with some repetition.
- Lexical Resource: 6.0 - Uses some less common vocabulary but with errors.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 6.0 - Attempts complex sentences but with frequent errors.
Band 7.0 Answer
Advantages: International trade fosters economic growth by creating jobs and increasing GDP. For example, countries like China have lifted millions out of poverty through export-driven growth. Disadvantages: Trade can exacerbate income inequality as wealthy nations benefit more. For instance, developed countries often set trade rules that favor their own industries. I believe the benefits of trade outweigh the drawbacks, but fair trade practices are essential.
Scoring Breakdown:
- Task Response: 7.0 - Presents a clear position with some extension and support.
- Coherence and Cohesion: 7.0 - Uses cohesive devices effectively but with some repetition.
- Lexical Resource: 7.0 - Uses a mix of common and less common vocabulary appropriately.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 7.0 - Uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms with some errors.
Band 8.0 Answer
Advantages: International trade promotes economic growth by enabling countries to specialize in goods and services where they have a comparative advantage. For example, countries with abundant natural resources can export them and import manufactured goods. Disadvantages: Trade can lead to job displacement in industries that cannot compete with cheaper imports. For instance, the textile industry in developed countries has suffered due to competition from low-wage countries. While I acknowledge the drawbacks, I firmly believe that the advantages of international trade far outweigh the disadvantages, as it fosters global economic integration and prosperity.
Scoring Breakdown:
- Task Response: 8.0 - Presents a clear position with extensive and supported arguments.
- Coherence and Cohesion: 8.0 - Uses cohesive devices effectively to guide the reader.
- Lexical Resource: 8.0 - Uses a wide range of vocabulary with flexibility and precision.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 8.0 - Uses a wide range of complex sentence forms with minimal errors.
Band 9.0 Answer
Advantages: International trade is a catalyst for economic growth, fostering specialization and efficiency. For example, countries like Germany and Japan have leveraged trade to become global economic powerhouses by focusing on high-value industries. Disadvantages: However, trade can lead to job displacement and economic instability in sectors that cannot compete with cheaper imports. For instance, the steel industry in the United States has faced significant challenges due to competition from China. While acknowledging these drawbacks, I firmly believe that the benefits of international trade, such as increased GDP, job creation, and technological advancement, far outweigh the disadvantages. Policymakers should focus on implementing fair trade practices and providing support to affected industries to mitigate the negative impacts.
Scoring Breakdown:
- Task Response: 9.0 - Presents a clear position with fully extended and supported arguments.
- Coherence and Cohesion: 9.0 - Uses cohesive devices effectively to guide the reader through the response.
- Lexical Resource: 9.0 - Uses a wide range of vocabulary with full flexibility and precision.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 9.0 - Uses a wide range of complex sentence forms with full flexibility and accuracy.
Vocabulary Highlights
- Economic growth: The increase in the production of goods and services in an economy.
- Collocation: Sustainable economic growth
- Comparative advantage: The ability of a country to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than other countries.
- Collocation: Gaining a comparative advantage
- Job displacement: The loss of jobs due to factors such as automation or competition from imports.
- Collocation: Mitigating job displacement
- Global economic integration: The increasing interconnectedness of the world's economies through trade and investment.
- Collocation: Promoting global economic integration
- Technological advancement: The development of new technologies that improve productivity and efficiency.
- Collocation: Driving technological advancement
- Fair trade practices: Trade policies and practices that ensure equitable benefits for all parties involved.
- Collocation: Implementing fair trade practices
- Income inequality: The gap between the rich and the poor within a country or globally.
- Collocation: Reducing income inequality
- Export-driven growth: Economic growth fueled by the sale of goods and services to foreign markets.
- Collocation: Sustaining export-driven growth
- Manufactured goods: Products that are created through processing raw materials.
- Collocation: Importing manufactured goods
- Natural resources: Materials or components that are mined or harvested from the earth.
- Collocation: Exploiting natural resources
- High-value industries: Sectors that produce goods or services with a high profit margin.
- Collocation: Focusing on high-value industries
- Economic instability: A state of uncertainty or unpredictability in the economy.
- Collocation: Addressing economic instability
- Policymakers: Individuals or groups responsible for creating and implementing policies.
- Collocation: Engaging policymakers
- Technological advancement: The development of new technologies that improve productivity and efficiency.
- Collocation: Driving technological advancement
- Global economic integration: The increasing interconnectedness of the world's economies through trade and investment.
- Collocation: Promoting global economic integration
- Sustainable economic growth: Economic growth that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
- Collocation: Achieving sustainable economic growth
- Opportunity cost: The cost of forgoing the next best alternative when making a decision.
- Collocation: Calculating opportunity cost
- Productivity: The measure of output per unit of input, such as labor or capital.
- Collocation: Improving productivity
- Efficiency: The ability to produce goods and services with the least amount of waste.
- Collocation: Enhancing efficiency
- Globalization: The process of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations.
- Collocation: Embracing globalization
Common Mistakes
- Lack of Balance: Focusing too much on one side of the argument without adequately addressing the other.
- Vague Examples: Using general examples without specific details or data to support arguments.
- Poor Cohesion: Failing to use cohesive devices effectively, leading to a disjointed response.
- Grammatical Errors: Making frequent grammatical mistakes that hinder understanding.
- Limited Vocabulary: Using a narrow range of vocabulary, which can make the response sound repetitive and less sophisticated.
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