Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society – IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay

An IELTS agree or disagree essay topic, ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’ gives you an opportunity to express your opinion with relevant justifications. The IELTS Writing Task 2 carries more weight in scoring since it has double the weightage. To achieve a higher band score, you must demonstrate clarity of thought, coherence, and understanding of the essay structure.

By looking into the strategies that combine with idea development, cohesion, and advanced language use, you would score a higher band. You can simulate the exam conditions and try writing on different essay topics to build the confidence for the exam day.

How to Attempt IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’?

As you tackle the IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay topic, ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’, you must ensure that you use a few tricks. Remember that just writing the essay will not help in acquiring a higher IELTS Band Score. Therefore, you must learn how to prepare on a regular basis so that you can work on the areas of improvement. Below are some of the tips which you can look into as you prepare yourself.

• Avoid jumping straight to the writing; instead focus more on planning and brainstorming ideas. This will help in outlining the structure of your essay and guide you as you write the essay.
• Since you need to write at least 250 words, you need to understand the structure of the essay. However, try not to go over 280 words as the essay would be too long in that case, which might affect the coherence of your response.
• Get familiar with the Timing and Word Length in IELTS Writing Module so that you can utilize the given 40 minutes effectively. Keep 5-7 minutes in the beginning to brainstorm, then 30 minutes to focus on writing, and again 5 minutes to go through your answer.
• Read the question carefully and understand the topic provided. Since there are two types of questions in this essay which you must first understand which one has been provided to you. This is because the body paragraphs will follow according to your opinion.
• In this task, you’re presented with an IELTS Writing Task 2 agree or disagree essay that asks to what extent you agree or disagree with the given statement. So, you are allowed to give a partial view of it at times to address it. 
• As you are moving from one paragraph to the other or even from one idea to the other, you can use the appropriate linking words. With this, the logical flow of the essay would have a smooth transition.
• Learn new IELTS Vocabulary words based on the topic so that you can use them based on context. By doing so, your band scores in the parameter of lexical resources would be improved.
• Even though the sample answers are provided, do not just read them. It is recommended that you analyze them and put them into a structure to identify how your band scores could be improved. 
• Practice utilizing different sentence structures by immersing yourself in the main topics from IELTS Grammar.
• Do not provide any personal experience as an example since you must give your opinion, elaborate on the reasons to justify it, and provide necessary examples.

Check out the video below to know more on How to write IELTS Agree-Disagree Essay in 10 Minutes?

Question -  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

Structure Breakdown for IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

The outline of the essay plays a vital role in achieving a higher band score of 8+. This would make your response concise and coherent while avoiding deviating from the main topic. In the Agree Disagree Essays in IELTS, you must have a structure breakdown so that you can follow the same in your essay where the progression is not abrupt. Below is the structure breakdown for this essay.

Band 7 Sample Answer  for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

In this contemporary era, individual greed and selfishness are often seen as the basis of modern society. However, many believe that a return to traditional values, emphasizing respect for the family and local community, is essential for creating a better world. I firmly agree that stepping back to the traditional method of taking care of us as well as our surroundings is important.

To begin with, nowadays, this modern life is entirely about each person trying to perform well and better their lives, even if it happens at the expense of others. For example, in private businesses, it can lead to cutthroat practices that prioritize profit over ethical considerations. Here, those employers might care more about making their own money than doing what’s right for all their employees. This focus on personal success can cause problems like inequality and a weaker sense of togetherness which is undoubtedly a threat to the society and its people when thinking about it being followed in a longer term.

On the contrary, traditional values centred around family and community promote a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. For instance, in close-knit neighbourhoods, people looked out for each other, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. Rekindling these values could help counteract the negative impacts of a self-centred thought of some people in this era.

To conclude, while it is important for each person to do well, going back to caring about family and community is key, I believe, that finding a balance between personal success and looking out for others can make the world a better place.

Vocabulary of Band 7 Sample Answer for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

• Contemporary

Meaning: Belonging to the present time.

Example: In this contemporary era, technology plays a significant role in shaping our daily lives.

• Emphasizing

Meaning: Giving special importance or attention to something.

Example: The teacher is emphasizing the importance of teamwork in today’s lesson.

• Cutthroat

Meaning: Ruthlessly competitive.

Example: The business world can be cutthroat, with companies vying for market dominance.

• Contrary

Meaning: Opposite or completely different.

Example: His opinion is contrary to the commonly held belief in the group.

• Rekindling

Meaning: Reviving or renewing something that has diminished.

Example: The couple worked on rekindling their love by spending quality time together.

• Self-centered

Meaning: Having an egocentric or selfish focus on oneself.

Example: Her self-centred attitude made it challenging for her to maintain close relationships.

• Counteract

Meaning: Act against to neutralize or alleviate something.

Example: Eating healthy foods can help counteract the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Band 8 Sample Answer for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

These days, greed and selfishness have become increasingly common in this modern society. Certain individuals think that following our older practices of taking care of the family alongside the neighbourhood is the key to living in harmony. I totally agree with this since following traditional values can help people bring each other up.

First off, undeniably, most of the people around the world in these times have become overly self-conscious and are putting themselves before anything else. For instance, highlighting the youth of this generation tend to prioritize their needs and do not care much about the elders in their household. Even with selecting their life partners, they care less about their parent’s concerns, unlike the former young people. Hence, this directly shows that individuals care more about themselves and not much about others. This exhibits their selfish and narrow characteristics and not a broader view of the world.

To add on, preserving the unity of a household is an important thing because it is undeniable that a family is the closest blood relation to a person and typically serves as a major helping hand in every single crisis faced. For example, by treating all the members starting from the children to older ones with respect, it obviously lets the younger generation know how to be well-behaved and have respect for their tradition and fellow humans. Thus, by adhering to the culture and norms, individuals will be able to naturally respect everyone around them.

In conclusion, the greed to grow is being increased in individuals, which has led to a decrease in our cultural values that need to be preserved before it’s too late. Hence, I strongly believe, reviving old practices will make the current era a better place to live in.

Vocabulary of Band 8 Sample Answer for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

• Norms

Meaning: Accepted standards or patterns of behaviour within a group or society.

Example: Cultural norms vary across different societies, influencing how individuals interact.

• Adhering

Meaning: To stick firmly to a practice or belief.

Example: By adhering to a healthy lifestyle, she improved her overall well-being.

• Preserving

Meaning: Maintaining or keeping something in its original state.

Example: Preserving historical monuments is essential to retain a connection with our past.

• Conscious

Meaning: Aware of and responding to one’s surroundings; awake.

Example: Even in a deep sleep, her subconscious mind remained conscious of the noise outside.

• Undeniably

Meaning: In a way that cannot be denied or disputed.

Example: Undeniably, technology has transformed the way we communicate in the modern era.

• Selfishness

Meaning: Concerned excessively with one’s own interests, needs, or welfare.

Example: Her selfishness became evident when she refused to share resources with her colleagues.

Band 9 Sample Answer for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society’

Always proofread your essay in order to achieve a higher band score in the IELTS Exam. Remember that noting the areas of improvement and consistently work on those areas would help you acquire the skills to elevate your IELTS preparation. Therefore, check out more topics and also get familiar with different essay types to build confidence for the actual exam day.

More Writing Task 2 Essay Topics

Also Check:

• Tips to Write an Effective Introduction for IELTS Writing Task 2
• 6 Essay Writing Secrets to Boost Your IELTS Band Score Fast
• Common IELTS Essay Topics for Writing Task 2
• Best IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips for Achieving Band 9
• Recent IELTS Writing Actual Test & Model Answers
• IELTS Band 9 Essay Samples: Writing Task 2 Tips for Target IELTS Score
• IELTS Writing Answer sheet