People should keep all the money they earn and should not pay tax to the state. Agree or Disagree?: IELTS Writing Task 2 essay

Bhargavee Sisodia

16 Oct 2024

Essay writing is a common task in the second portion of the IELTS writing exam for both the Academic (for students) and General Training (for working professionals) categories. The IELTS essay topics of the IELTS Writing Task 2 require you to compose an essay in response to a specific point of view, argument, or problem. Your essay should be written in a formal tone, of at least 250 words and should take no more than 40 minutes to complete. 

The purpose of the IELTS Writing exam is to evaluate a variety of writing abilities, such as how well you compose an appropriate response, arrange the concepts, and appropriately employ a variety of terms and language.

Marking Criteria of IELTS Writing Exam Task 2 

The four marking criteria are:

• Task Achievement (25%)
• Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
• Lexical Resource (25%)
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

1. Task Achievement: The task response or achievement criteria assesses a candidate's capacity to meet the requirements of the task. It also prioritizes whether or not the response to the prompt question was pertinent and easy to understand. This includes everything—from giving thorough answers to the questions to offering pertinent illustrations and evidence to support the arguments. Because of this, it requires that you maintain a steady focus throughout the response.  
2. Coherence and Cohesion: The applicant must be able to write in an orderly, comprehensible manner. Some ideas should be organized and presented in paragraph form to increase readability. Coherence can be created by using linking words to connect the ideas, and advancement must occur gradually without disrupting the flow.
3. Lexical Resource: This standard assesses the test-taker's command of terminology. Success in this sector requires a balanced use of clear communication, appropriate spelling and tone, collocations, and a wide vocabulary.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The test-taker's work is assessed based mostly on whether or not it uses a variety of sentence structures when assessing grammatical range and accuracy. There shouldn't be any recurring grammatical mistakes, and punctuation and verb tenses should be utilized appropriately. 

IELTS Essay: 6 Types of Essay

There are six main categories of IELTS essay subjects, each with a distinct format. If you fail to properly analyze the given topic and understand each style before organizing your response, your IELTS writing band score will suffer.

Discussion Essay: You can include instances to support your points of view when writing an essay with this format. Don't bring it up forcibly if it doesn't ask for your opinion explicitly. 

• Discuss both points of view and share your thoughts.

Advantage/Disadvantage Essay: For this type of essay, you must list the advantages and disadvantages of a particular subject. Your essay's main body should be balanced, with each paragraph discussing the benefits and drawbacks of the assigned topic. If the subject doesn't call for personal opinions, don't share them.

• What are the advantages of this?
• Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Problem/Solution Essay: For these essays, you must investigate the origins and effects of significant problems associated with your essay's subject. Writings of this kind shouldn't contain individual suggestions or beliefs.

• What issues surround the subject? and how may they be resolved?
• Discuss the causes and effects of the subject and provide solutions.

Balanced Opinion Essay: These types of essays require you to clearly state your opinions on the topic. You cannot support one side over the other in a debate, you must defend both equally. The essay's opening and closing paragraphs should express your viewpoint. 

• Discuss both sides
• Give your opinion

Opinion Essay: You must compose an essay explaining your point of view on the given subject and stating whether or not you concur with it. Provide relevant information and reasons to persuade the examiner of your point of view. It is not possible to express dissent or partial agreement with the given issue.

• What do you think?
• Do you agree or not?
• How much do you agree or disagree?

Direct Question Essay: This kind of essay poses one or more direct questions, to which you must provide a coherent, succinct essay-style response supported by pertinent examples. 

• Why is this case?
• What can be done about this problem? 

IELTS Writing Errors– 6 Common Mistakes Aspirants to Avoid

Error 1: Use fewer paragraphs

This is the most typical and simple error made by IELTS candidates. The paragraphs' coherence and cohesiveness determine the band score. 

Error 2: Inappropriate Writing Format

Task 2 requires candidates to write in the appropriate essay format which aids in creating text that is simple to understand. No bullet points, subheadings, or numbers may be included by candidates. An introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion are required in the writing.

Error 3: Typos & Spelling Mistakes

One of the most crucial parts of the IELTS Writing test is spelling. Applicants need to be aware that the computer-based exam will not provide them with a "Spell-check." So you have to be very careful with your spelling since it may lead to a lower band score. 

Error 4: Improper Representation

Candidates may receive a lower band score if their responses are unclear. Candidates must therefore state their positions clearly and stick to them when writing the essay. When candidates have talked about the opinions of "some" and "other" people, they must subsequently state their own opinions. Verify that the contestants' opinions did not shift while they were composing the essay.

Error 5: Not Finishing the Question

Carefully read the question and make sure you grasp all of its components. If applicants are required to discuss two points of view and provide their assessment. Subsequently, the candidates must thoroughly respond to the question by outlining their personal beliefs in distinct paragraphs and discussing both points of view in separate paragraphs. Candidates should keep in mind that they should voice their thoughts in separate paragraphs.

One important tip: Utilize a survey and research to back up your claims. Write your viewpoint and back it up with actual instances and data. Examiners will not verify the validity of the research or survey. Candidates should take a stance and back up their claims with anecdotes from their own lives.

IELTS writing task 2 topics:

People should keep all the money they earn and should not pay tax to the state. Agree or Disagree?

Understanding the type of essay:

This essay is an opinion essay. Words like "do you think" or "give your opinion" will be used to serve as a clear cue that the essay is opinion-based. It can be challenging to distinguish other kinds of essays, such as advantage/disadvantage, from opinion-based and inquiry-based essays. 

The term "Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" can appear in an article. instead of saying "Discuss both viewpoints and give your opinion." In the first instance, you are required to write an advantage/disadvantage essay in which you will address both points of view and express your viewpoint regarding which is greater, the advantages or the disadvantages. Similar to the first example, the second one is a discussion-based essay in which you are required to provide your viewpoint and address both sides of a dispute.

Then, you probably want to know how to differentiate between opinionated essays. Look for the keyword "or," excluding phrases like "do you think" or "give your opinion." "Do you think this 'or' that?" or "Do you agree 'or' disagree?" will be the inquiry. The key distinction between opinion-based essays and other essays where your viewpoint is requested is this "or," which makes it obvious that you should discuss either the agreement or disagreement rather than both sides of the issue.

Structure of the essay:

• Introduction: Redefining and making the question plain. Please indicate the argument you agree with.
• Body 1: Provide proof to back up your stance.
• Body 2: Provide additional proof to back your claim.
• Body Paragraph 3 (optional): Feel free to present the other viewpoint and explain why you disagree.
• Conclusion: Restate the question in your terms and share your perspective.

Now that you understand the format of the essay, let's look at how your grade will be affected by your response. We have answers for bands 6, 7, and 9 as well as a justification for why the response fits into that particular band.

IELTS writing task 2 topics with answers:

Band 6

People should keep all the money they earn and should not pay tax to the state. Agree or Disagree?

Some people believes they may keep all of their earnings and avoid paying taxes to the government. In this essay, I argue against this stance since action is crucial to maintaining social justice and giving citizens access to certain necessities. 

First off, taxes are the main source of funding are for some vital function. By paying them, citizen let the government to spend funds for infrastructure and military modernization. For instance, the money from local tax was used to build a significant number of schools and hospitals. Second, the government uses those funds to support homeless people as well as needy persons who are unable to pay their basic expense. Again, the government won't have enough revenue if you don't pay taxes to upgrade public infrastructure, such as roads, schools, and hospitals. Residents of that nation so have difficulty obtaining certain welfare and public services. 

Raising security and the army force is another key function of tax. The government will pay the salaries and wages of its soldiers and police officers with tax revenue. For this reason, those that fail to pay taxes might face dangers like terrorism and criminal activity. Many people think they don't need to pay taxes since they can use the money for other purposes. These days, many want to avoid paying fees because the more money they make, the more taxes they must pay. Additionally, people can utilize their money for a variety of purposes, such as funding their hobbies or their car or house.

In conclusion, some people believe that people should be able to keep their own money and that they shouldn't be required to pay state taxes. However, I disagree with this viewpoint since I believe taxes play a critical role in both increasing infrastructure and decreasing the rate of crime.

Clarification on the band: Bold highlights indicate potential cohesive devices or connecting words that were not appropriate. Word repetition and poor word choice and construction are indicated by italics and underlined highlights. Grammatical errors and missing articles are indicated by words in italics. Note that the essay structure is haphazard and suitable examples with a logical flow are missing. 

Band 7

People should keep all the money they earn and should not pay tax to the state. Agree or Disagree?

Many people believe that because they are having financial difficulties, citizens ought to preserve all of their income instead of paying taxes to the government. However, I largely disagree with this viewpoint because, to strike a balance, imposing the appropriate amount of taxation based on individual financial circumstances can encourage economic disparity in society. 

On the one hand, it makes sense that a large number of locals are unwilling to pay taxes. First of all, having more money to spend would give them greater security, letting them to handle emergencies in their personal and professional lives with ease. Second, the huge amount of money would encourage spending and inflame the market as a whole. Consequently, the promotion of the national economy would occur. These resident also have low faith in their government, which has been eroded over time by a succession of corrupt practices. For instance, they wonder if the earnings would be wisely allocated to promote public welfare. They would rather handle the income themselves in these situations. Likewise, since wage are decided by labor, everyone in a community has freedom over them.

However, since taxes are so important to society, the practice of excluding citizens from paying them would be negative for society as a whole. Most importantly, governments require funding in order to continue running the entire country and even raise the standard of living for its people. The government may, for example, use tax money to fund infrastructure projects like improved transportation, healthcare, and educational opportunities. Additionally, they can strengthen and boost the security of the country's defenses. Furthermore, the tax system is a powerful tool for reducing income inequality and redistributing income, both of which significantly advance social equality. In addition, the money charged can also be used for supporting senior citizens' pensions. 

In conclusion, considering everything, taxes support the growth of healthcare facilities and the military's modernization in order to preserve national security. I believe that taxes are essential to a country's growth and that everyone who lives there should be paying for them.

Clarification on the band: Bold highlights denote potential cohesive devices or connecting words that were not appropriate. Italicized words denote incorrect word choice, word construction, and word repetition. Grammar errors and missing articles are indicated in italics with highlighted highlights. Note that this essay has a better flow than the last one with suitable examples. 

Band 9

People should keep all the money they earn and should not pay tax to the state. Agree or Disagree?

We have a moral obligation to pay taxes. But a large number of people think they shouldn't be paying taxes to the government. I disagree with the assertion because taxes benefit both the citizens and the country as a whole and I will go into more depth about this in the essay that follows.

 Tax revenues are vital for improving a nation's standard of living, and are the source of all necessary services. The government uses the taxes it collects to pay for many necessary services, including defense systems, basic utilities, and various services for the public. It also uses the money to fund programs related to government administration, the running of correctional institutions, and many other vital services. Therefore, the statement that "taxes run a country" is accurate. For instance, the government-funded healthcare system does not require patients to pay for treatments because it is supported by citizen taxes. 

However, people object to paying taxes since they are outraged at the government for issues like unemployment, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure. Additionally, many times there are disparities in tax slabs and high tax rates so they believe that pursuing tax avoidance or evasion is not immoral.

However, not paying taxes can have a big effect on a nation's ability to generate income, particularly in the country I belong to, India. The government will not be able to provide for our fundamental necessities if taxpayers fail to routinely pay their taxes. However, it is also desired that the government devise an unbiased tax system and inform the public about tax evasion. Fast tax reform is also necessary to ensure that no strong public complaints or noncompliance prevail. The best outcomes can be achieved with a people tax system supported by stringent tax laws.

In summary, I restate my belief that all citizens must pay taxes and that every government utilizes those taxes wisely and for the public good.

Clarification on the band: This essay is well-written and organized in terms of flow, fluency, grammar, large vocabulary, connecting words, and sentence structure. 

Conclusion

If you intend to take the IELTS writing test, D-VIVID is the best place to go since our skilled instructors and trainers will help you achieve your objective of achieving outstanding exam scores. Our staff is dedicated to presenting you with a variety of IELTS essay topics and guiding you through samples of IELTS writing task 2 topics and answers. Because the replies are organized according to the IELTS writing band score criterion, you will be able to compare the writing styles of the identical IELTS writing task 2 topics. As you explore the specific programs and approaches for IELTS exam preparation with D-VIVID individual supervision, you will be confident in reaching the perfect IELTS writing band score.