An Increasing Number of People are Buying What they Need Online- IELTS Writing Task 2

An increasing number of people are buying what they need online. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

Outline

Essay Type

Advantages/Disadvantages essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay and mention that it has its merits and demerits.

Body paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Talk about the advantages of buying products online.

Paragraph 2 – Implore the drawbacks.

Conclusion

Restate your opinions.

Sample Essay

Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular nowadays, and more and more people prefer to buy online instead of going to stores. However, this trend has both pros and cons for individuals and companies.

The burgeoning popularity of shopping online can be attributed to numerous decisive benefits. Firstly, the most distinctive advantage is convenience. For example, people can buy products from the comfort of their workplace, own home, or virtually anywhere without the pressure of a salesperson. Besides purchasing from the comfort of their homes or work station, customers can also save money. With ever-growing fuel prices, shopping online saves them the cost of driving to and from the shop. They can also save time by eluding getting stuck in gridlocked traffic than physical retail stores for online business owners. Furthermore, the shop owners don’t have to hire staff to work and run the shop, therefore, saving a substantial expenditure. Apart from this, online business owners can sell their products to customers without being curbed by geographical distances.

On the flip side, there are security concerns associated with online shopping. To begin with, individuals may suffer from financial loss because computer viruses and hackers constantly tap into online companies and steal customer identities and financial information. Likewise, the lack of support can complicate the exchange or refund process. For example, if a customer finds that the purchased goods are faulty, it may take several days to rectify the issue. In addition, online shoppers have to deal with complaints from customers due to defective goods. And this can affect the credibility of the online stores and eventually influence their business.

In conclusion, although shopping online has made one’s life easy and helped vendors eliminate global boundaries, it has equal cons that cannot be overlooked in this digital era.

Vocabulary

• Credibility

Meaning – the quality of being trusted and believed in.
Example – She says that viva voce evidence is necessary because credibility is an issue.

• Burgeoning

Meaning – beginning to grow or increase rapidly; flourishing.
Example – The burgeoning trade in bones and body parts for use in folk medicines threatens tigers and other big cats.

• Attributed

Meaning – regard something as being caused by.
Example – This stress can be entirely attributed to my participation in a six-and-a-half hour long meeting.

• Decisive

Meaning – settling an issue; producing a definite result.
Example – The links with the unions are decisive in determining the class nature of a party.

• Convenience

Meaning – the state of being able to proceed with something without difficulty.
Example – Video offers convenience and the highest market penetration for its medium.

• Eluding

Meaning – escape from or avoid (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skilful or cunning way.
Example – The gang of robbers has been eluding the police force for quite some time.

• Retail

Meaning – the sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale.
Example – The rise in retail activity was based on an increase from the inflow of mainlanders and domestic spending.

• Substantial

Meaning – of considerable importance, size, or worth.
Example – Only the buildings that were constructed of more substantial materials survived the earthquake.

• Expenditure

Meaning – the action of spending funds.
Example – When there is an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, the excess is stored as fat.

• Curbed

Meaning – restrain or keep in check.
Example – He still believes that corruption can be curbed by setting up a clean system and strict rules.