IELTS Writing Task 2: Online Shopping — Positive or Negative? (Band 9 Sample)
This "positive or negative development" question asks how we should judge the shift from shopping in physical stores to shopping online. A band-9 response commits to a clear overall verdict, weighs the opposite view fairly, and defends its position with developed reasons. Below is a model answer of roughly 285 words that judges the trend to be, on balance, positive, followed by a breakdown of why it scores 9 on all four criteria.
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01 · The task
In many countries, people are increasingly buying goods online rather than in physical shops. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
02 · Band 9 sample answer
285 words · Band 9Over the past decade, a growing share of our shopping has migrated from the high street to the screen. While this shift has undeniably hurt traditional retailers, I believe that, on balance, the rise of online shopping is a positive development, chiefly because of the convenience and choice it offers ordinary consumers.
1. Why the trend is beneficial
The clearest advantage is convenience. Shoppers can now buy almost anything at any hour without leaving home, which is a genuine boon for the elderly, the disabled and those living far from major stores. Online retailers also offer a far wider selection and make it effortless to compare prices, so customers can find better deals than a single local shop could ever provide.
2. Acknowledging the drawbacks
There are, admittedly, real costs. The closure of high-street shops has cost jobs and hollowed out some town centres, and the surge in home deliveries adds to traffic and packaging waste. However, these problems are not inevitable: retailers can adapt by combining online and physical services, and greener delivery systems can reduce the environmental toll.
In conclusion, although the shift to online shopping has clearly damaged traditional retail, I consider it a broadly positive development, because the convenience, choice and value it delivers to consumers outweigh the drawbacks, provided those drawbacks are actively managed.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The answer gives a clear verdict — "on balance... a positive development" — states it in the introduction and delivers on it. It develops the benefits (convenience, access for the vulnerable, wider choice) and gives the drawbacks (job losses, waste) a genuine paragraph before arguing they can be managed, so both sides are addressed while the position stays firm.
One idea governs each body paragraph — "why the trend is beneficial" then "acknowledging the drawbacks" — with the stance flagged early and confirmed in the conclusion. Linking is natural: "The clearest advantage is...", "There are, admittedly, real costs", "However, these problems are not inevitable", "In conclusion...".
Vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "migrated from the high street to the screen", "a genuine boon", "compare prices", "hollowed out some town centres", "the environmental toll" — carrying the argument with confident collocation rather than filler.
A wide range is controlled accurately: a concessive opener ("While this shift has undeniably hurt traditional retailers"), a relative clause carrying benefit ("which is a genuine boon for the elderly"), and a conditional coda in the conclusion ("provided those drawbacks are actively managed"). The writing stays error-free.
04 · Useful collocations for this task
Tap a phrase to see what it means and how to use it. Natural collocations like these lift your Lexical Resource score.
05 · Frequently asked questions
Do I have to choose only positive or only negative?
You must give a clear overall verdict, but a band-9 answer still weighs the other side. This model spends a full paragraph on the drawbacks before arguing the benefits outweigh them, which is more convincing than ignoring the opposite view.
How do I develop the "convenience" argument beyond the obvious?
Target specific groups and effects — access for the elderly and disabled, the ability to compare prices, reaching people far from stores. Concrete beneficiaries are rewarded under Task Response and lift the answer above vague claims.
How do I handle the drawbacks without weakening my position?
Acknowledge them honestly, then show they can be managed — as this model does with adaptable retailers and greener deliveries. Concede-then-rebut keeps your verdict intact while showing balance.
How long should the essay be?
At least 250 words; a band-9 answer is usually 260–290. This model is 285 words, enough to give both sides and reach a clear, defended verdict without padding.
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