IELTS Writing Task 2: Globalisation Advantages & Disadvantages (Band 9 Sample)
This advantages/disadvantages question asks you to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of globalisation and to judge which is greater. A band-9 response covers both economic and cultural effects, develops each side, and reaches a clear overall verdict. Below is a model answer of roughly 285 words concluding that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks, followed by a breakdown of why it scores 9 on all four criteria.
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01 · The task
The world is becoming increasingly globalised, with goods, ideas and people moving freely across borders. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?
02 · Band 9 sample answer
285 words · Band 9Globalisation — the growing flow of goods, capital, people and ideas across national borders — has reshaped the modern world. Although it brings real costs, I would argue that its economic and cultural benefits ultimately outweigh its drawbacks.
1. The main advantages
The clearest benefit is economic. By opening up international trade, globalisation has allowed developing nations to industrialise, lifting millions out of poverty and giving consumers everywhere access to cheaper, more varied products. Culturally, too, it has broadened horizons: people can now sample foreign cuisines, films and ideas, and this exchange fosters greater tolerance and understanding between societies that were once isolated from one another.
2. The disadvantages
The drawbacks, however, are genuine. The relentless spread of a few dominant brands and languages can erode local cultures and traditions, leaving the world feeling increasingly uniform. Economically, globalisation can also widen inequality, since multinational corporations sometimes exploit cheap labour and move jobs to wherever costs are lowest, leaving some communities behind.
In conclusion, while globalisation undoubtedly threatens cultural diversity and can deepen inequality, I believe its capacity to spread prosperity and connect people gives it the edge. The wiser response is not to reverse the trend but to manage it so that its considerable benefits are shared more fairly.
03 · Why this scores Band 9
The question is fully answered: the advantages (trade-driven growth, cheaper goods, cultural exchange) and disadvantages (cultural erosion, widening inequality) are each developed across both an economic and a cultural dimension, and a clear overall verdict — the advantages outweigh the drawbacks — is stated in the introduction and confirmed in the conclusion.
One side governs each body paragraph, with the position flagged early and resolved at the end. Cohesion is smooth and varied — "The clearest benefit is economic", "Culturally, too...", "The drawbacks, however, are genuine", "In conclusion..." — so the reader follows the balance of the argument easily.
Topic vocabulary is precise and idiomatic — "open up international trade", "lift millions out of poverty", "broaden horizons", "erode local cultures", "exploit cheap labour", "widen inequality" — carrying an abstract argument with confident collocation rather than filler.
A wide range is controlled accurately: a fronted "By + gerund" clause ("By opening up international trade, globalisation has allowed..."), a participle clause carrying consequence ("leaving some communities behind"), and a balanced "not... but..." structure in the conclusion ("not to reverse the trend but to manage it"). 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
Does "do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages" need a clear verdict?
Yes. You must weigh the two sides and state which is greater. This model concludes that the advantages outweigh the drawbacks — a definite judgement, not just a list of pros and cons.
How many advantages and disadvantages should I give?
Depth beats quantity. Two well-developed advantages and one or two developed disadvantages, each explained with an example, score better than a long, shallow list. Here each side spans an economic and a cultural point.
Should the two sides be equal in length?
Roughly balanced is ideal, but the side you favour can be slightly fuller. What matters is that both are genuinely developed and your final verdict follows logically from them.
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 develop both sides and reach a clear verdict without padding.
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