People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things – IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay

With the essay, ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’, you will be able to look at the perspective with a bit of modernization. You might ask yourself whether this is an indicator of economic progress and increased artisanship for life or an indicator of materialism and misplaced priorities. Before moving to the sample answers, you can simulate the conditions of the actual exam and get down to writing.

In this IELTS Writing Task 2, you will learn how to analyze the topic, brainstorm arguments, and arrange these ideas with clarity and cohesiveness in an academic style. In this way, you will elevate your preparation for the exam.

How to Attempt IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’?

In order to get a higher IELTS Band Score, you need to first look at the tricks to use for the IELTS Writing Task 2 topic, ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’. This will help you get a structure to write the essay. Below are some of the tricks which will help you get a cohesive idea generation.

• Identify the keywords first to know which direction you must follow, such as work hard, buy more things, and be less happy. This is the time for you to finalize your opinion, such as completely agree, completely disagree, and partially agree. Then, think of reasons which can support your opinion while enhancing your answer with relevant examples. 
• Remember to simulate the exam conditions where you shouldn’t spend more than 40 minutes and write no less than 250 words. This is because Timing and Word Length in IELTS Writing Module play a crucial role in attaining a higher band score.
• Planning a structure for your essay will help you to have a direction. This is to avoid overelaborating your ideas or even moving away from the main topic completely.
• Keep around 5 minutes to proofread your answers so that you can correct any mistakes in terms of spelling or grammatical errors.
• Note down around 5-7 IELTS Vocabulary words so that you can incorporate them into your answer. 
• Remember to use appropriate linking words to connect your ideas together but make sure not to overuse them. This can affect the overall quality of your essay, reducing the band score for coherence and cohesion.

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 ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’

Structure Breakdown for IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’

A good framework will give you a better chance to get a band above 8+. This could be done by organizing your ideas concisely to make it more coherent and avoid getting distracted by a new point while writing. In the Agree Disagree Essays in IELTS, you need to have a structural breakdown so that you can refer to it and stay on point. Let's take a look at the outline for the essay topic.

Sample Answer 1 for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’

People nowadays are working hard to buy more things. Even though this trend has made life simpler, people are imploring that it has hindered traditional values while promoting materialism. This essay will emphasize that the said statement is incorrect.

In its truest sense, materialism is detrimental for any person. But from what has been observed, people are happy once they get what they want. Moreover, they feel like they’ve accomplished a goal, which gives them and their efforts further gratification. When an individual accomplishes a target that he sets, for instance, a car, he feels good about himself.

Suppose walking as a traditional value is substituted in the midst. In that case, there is no harm in that because a car allows the person to travel with ease and safety, makes him punctual and gives him the leisure to go the extra mile if his workplace is located far from his home. Materialism is, therefore, an evolutionary aspect of human culture as it allows redirection of focus from menial tasks to other important ones.

On the other hand, being avaricious can cause unhappiness as there is no upper limit to either satisfaction or greed. But, such cases are far too few, and in general, people’s functionality has increased. Furthermore, materialism doesn’t directly affect traditional values, rather makes lives easier and more comfortable.

Hence, people working hard to buy things has definitely made life more comfortable. So, if traditional values have been lost in the process, one has to realise it as an progressive aspect and nothing else.

Vocabulary of Sample Answer 1 for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’

• Trend 

Meaning – a general direction in which something is developing or changing.
Example – The fashion trend changes very frequently.

• Imploring 

Meaning – making an earnest or desperate appeal.
Example – His face suggested an imploring look.

• Materialism  

Meaning – a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.
Example – Materialism is bad if you cannot control your spendings.

• Detrimental  

Meaning – tending to cause harm.
Example – Smoking is detrimental to our health.

• Gratification  

Meaning – pleasure, especially when gained from the satisfaction of a desire.
Example – I wish to learn how to delay gratification, so that I can focus on the task at hand.

• Menial 

Meaning – (of work) not requiring much skill and lacking prestige.
Example – I asked my boss to stop assigning me menial tasks.

• Evolutionary  

Meaning – relating to the gradual development of something.
Example – The evolutionary aspect of lifestyle corresponds to how comfortable everything is becoming.

• Leisure  

Meaning – opportunity afforded by free time to do something.
Example – In his leisure time, Jaspreet learns the piano.

• Functionality 

Meaning – the quality of being suited to serve a purpose well; practicality.
Example – With laptops, the functionality of every employee improved.

• Necessarily 

Meaning – as a necessary result; inevitably.
Example – Consuming Vitamin C tablets doesn’t necessarily means a person is deficient in it.

Sample Answer 2 for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’

Nowadays, many people spend more hours at their jobs to afford luxuries. While material progress certainly has its advantages, cultural erosion is a scathing disadvantage that should not be overlooked. Therefore, I partially agree with the statement and the following paragraphs will include relevant reasons.

On the one side of the argument, economic progress and materialism have made life better for many. Due to changes in levels of income, technology, and healthcare, higher income levels promote access to modern-day amenities. For example, the widespread availability of smartphones and the internet has facilitated communication quickly and allows people all over the world to reach each other. This has made life simpler for most populations.

However, the increasing dominance of wealth and possessions has often come at the cost of ancient traditions. In the race for the attainment of riches, people get less time to spend on family matters or cultural festivals, or any traditional crafts and languages may pass into oblivion. For example, in many Asian countries, traditional festivals such as Lunar New Year or harvest celebrations have now been reduced due to work schedules. Thus, people have to work hard and stay away from taking part in the full rituals or in family gatherings. 

To conclude, economic growth and technological advancement have brought much comfort and convenience but, they have also endangered their traditional values. 

Vocabulary of Sample Answer 2 for  IELTS Writing Task 2 Argumentative Essay Topic ‘People Nowadays Work Hard to Buy More Things’

• Cultural erosion

Meaning – Gradual weakening or loss of the traditions, values, and practices of a community under external influence.
Example – Globalisation has brought about cultural interchange which is causing cultural erosion.

• Scathing

Meaning – Being highly critical of or harsh in one's judgements.
Example – In a review, the film was subjected to a scathing critique.

• Amenities

Meaning – Those features or facilities available for use while bringing comfort or convenience.
Example – Modern amenities at the hotel included complimentary Wi-Fi, a gym, and a rooftop swimming pool.

• Dominance

Meaning – Power
Example – Dominance in the retail business by large companies has turned out to be difficult for the survival of small businesses. 

• Attainment

Meaning – Being acquired or achieved through effort.
Example – Attaining the highest IELTS band score was more than a month's worth of hard practice.

• Oblivion

Meaning – A state of being totally forgotten or unaware.
Example – Many books that were popular once have passed into oblivion with the rise of new types of books.

• Endangered

Meaning – A condition of extinction or disappearance.
Example – Turtle species are endangered due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting.

Practice using the sample answers for this essay to perfect your writing skills before taking the IELTS Exam. With this topic, you will be able to explore modern consumer culture. Also, take notes of your drawbacks and actively work on them so that you may develop the needed writing skills that will help you prepare well for Writing Task 2 on the exam. 

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