ielts sample essay online shopping

IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay on online shopping/virtual shopping/e-shopping; with planning and model answer

This IELTS Writing Task 2 post is about ‘online shopping and its merits and demerits’ . Here, I’ve discussed the advantages and disadvantages of virtual/online/e-shopping and presented a model answer on this Task 2 question. This model answer can guide you to write an answer to any online shopping related essay.

Let’s have a look at the question we are going to discuss today.

The language of this task 2 question can be different in different exams.

Here’s another example of the same question:

An increasing number of people are buying what they need online.

What are the advantages and disadvantages for both individuals and companies to shopping online?

Nowadays, e-shopping or shopping online has an increasing trend among shoppers. It has both positive and negative sides. First, we need to make a plan for writing on this topic.

Here’s a short plan that may help you.

Planning and organisation:

Here is how I’ve planned the essay with a 4-paragraph structure:

• Introduction: topic + thesis (2 sentences can be sufficient): Introduce the topic – ‘online shopping getting more popular’. Then write a thesis on how you are going to show that there are some positives and negatives of the issue.
• Body paragraph on the reasons behind virtual shopping being so popular: You can write about straightforward ideas e.g. people get more convenience, and availability or choice of products. Give some real-life examples here.
• Body paragraph on the negative sides of online shopping: Again, present some very general ideas e.g. customers get cheated and people become more isolated. Give some real-life examples here too
• Conclusion: restate your ideas Online shopping has both advantages and disadvantages. You can give your personal opinion on how the disadvantages can be reduced.

Now let’s take a look at the model answer.

Model answer: expected band score – 7.5 to 8.0

In recent years, the rate of in-store shopping has plunged due to vast opportunities for buying different products including daily necessaries from hundreds of online stores. This essay will try to demonstrate chances such as convenience and product availability as the reasons behind the popularity of e-shopping whereas it will focus on swindling and isolation as the pitfalls of this issue.

Initially, the prime reason behind the popularity of e-shopping is convenience which can be easily understood from the thousands of virtual shops all over the world. To illustrate, people nowadays are busier than ever because of the fast pace of the world and they want to save as much time as they can for relaxation. Virtual shopping gives this magnificent prospect of time-saving and so people enjoy taking it. Besides, superstores sometimes run out of products in the precise moment when people need them which online shops rarely have this crisis. For instance, I needed a flat-screen monitor a few months ago but my local store had it out of stock. When I peeped into some online stores I found it easily on eBay.

Meanwhile, though shopping on the internet looks very promising, it is not without its setbacks. Many people, mostly the newcomers, regularly complain of getting tricked on virtual shopping and the rate of complaints is increasing at a faster rate. To explain, one of my friends has recently got swindled when he paid in advance for a smartwatch. Additionally, people often become isolated in their rooms through e-shopping which can affect their feelings and behaviour. As an example, a friend of mine started shopping online a couple of years ago even though the nearest superstore was only 500 metres away. His neighbours, nowadays, describe him as an ill-mannered and antisocial person which, needless to say, is the result of being home and becoming isolated from the outer world. 

In brief, virtual shoppers obtain greater benefits if compared to in-store shoppers. Converting such shopping to a stress-free experience, it is turning out to be progressively more convenient. However, as clients may sometimes get deceived and become cut off from the social world, concerned authorities should look into the matter cautiously. (360 words)

Here are some other Task 2 questions which can be answered taking help from the given essay example on online shopping:

• Some people support online shopping because it is convenient, while others argue that shopping on the internet poses threats. Discuss both views and give your opinions.
• Nowadays on-line shopping has become more popular than in-store shopping. Is it a positive or a negative development?
• Nowadays many people go shopping in their free time. Shopping has replaced many other activities that people used to choose as their hobby. What are the reasons for this? Is this a positive or negative development?

If you have written any answer to this question, you can post it in the comment box and we can discuss about it in details. 

Click here for a model answer to Cambridge 14 Test 4 Writing Task 2

Click here for a model answer to agree-disagree topic: elderly or young people as company leaders

Click here for a model answer to advantage-disadvantage topic: online shopping

Click here for a model answer to opinion essay: urbanization in countryside/ problem of housing

Click here for a model answer to opinion essay: qualities of a good supervisor/boss

Click here for a model answer to descriptive essay: advantages/facilities/benefits of vocational education 

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Online Shopping Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated on Mar 08, 2024, 11:07

There are two writing tasks for the IELTS: Task 1 and Task 2. Task 1, for academic and general training, asks you to describe charts or graphs in around 150 words within 20 minutes. You'll get a topic like "Online Shopping Essay" in Task 2, which takes about 40 minutes, and you'll share it if you agree or disagree. 

Nowadays, online shopping is changing how we're buying things. The Internet makes it easy to browse and purchase goods at home. This paper will look at online shopping and how it impacts people's habits, what good it is for them, and the challenges that come with it. We can understand why online shopping is so important today and how it changes how we buy.

On This Page

1. Online Shopping Essay: How to Answer

The opening of your essay should be about the topic and what will be in the essay's main body. Write whatever you feel about the topic, like your viewpoint and try to give examples that support your point of view.

2. Online Shopping Essay: Sample Answer

Find the Sample Answers for Online Shopping IELTS Writing Essay Topic here.

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Online Shopping Essay: How to Answer

Introduction.

• A significant part of modern life is shopping online. 
• It's changed the way we buy things and services. 
• There has been a surge in popularity due to the ease of browsing and purchasing at home.

Example: “The growth of e-commerce giants like Amazon and Alibaba has changed how people worldwide can access and purchase products.”  

Benefits of online shopping  

• The main advantage is convenience, enabling shopping at any time of day or night. 
• Access to a vast range of products and brands for making informed choices. 
• Expanding the market, enabling small businesses to compete on a wider scale.  

Example: “With various clothing options at their disposal, fashion retailers such as Zara and ASOS allow customers to experiment easily with many styles and brands.”  

Challenges of online shopping  

• Concerns about the security of personal data. 
• The risk of obtaining counterfeit goods. 
• A lack of physical contact with the product may cause dissatisfaction and returns.  

Example: “The Equifax data breach, which emphasised the importance of protecting consumer information during online transactions.”

Adaptation  

• In the digital age, conventional retailers adapt their strategies to compete. 
• The development of the retail landscape in relation to online shopping.  

Example: “Internet platforms, besides their retail stores, are taking the hybrid approach.”

• The retail experience is revolutionised by online shopping. 
• The benefits of convenience and accessibility are considerable despite the difficulties. 
• Technology's continued influence suggests that the future of retail will be shaped by online shopping.  

Example: “The impact of online shopping on how we shop is profound, with giants such as Amazon and Alibaba dominating. Take, for instance, the bustling life of a working professional who, thanks to the convenience of platforms like Amazon, can effortlessly order groceries or clothing with just a few clicks.” 

Online Shopping Essay: Sample Answer

The internet has changed many aspects of our lives, and the rise in online shopping is one of the most visible changes. Today, consumers no longer have to visit physical stores for shopping; now, they can browse and purchase products from their homes with only a few clicks. The development of online shopping, its impact on consumer behaviour and the challenges and opportunities it represents are examined in this article.

The most important appeal is the convenience of online shopping. Consumers are no longer concerned with the length of time they have to spend in stores or travel; they can shop anytime, anywhere and make purchases at their convenience. Thanks to the wide range of online products, consumers can easily find exactly what they want.   

Almost anything can be bought online, from electronics to clothing or food, all at competitive prices. Moreover, the popularity of online shopping, with user-friendly interfaces and fast delivery options, has been further fueled by the growth of e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Alibaba.  

However, there are also challenges in the area of online shopping. Consumers are especially concerned about the safety of data breaches and identity theft. Another problem is the prevalence of counterfeit products on online marketplaces, which leads to mistrust between consumers. 

Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are increasing their investments in Internet presence to maintain competitiveness. Still, small businesses use Internet platforms to reach an even broader audience.  Another trend which reflects the evolution of Internet shopping is social commerce, where consumers can buy products directly from social networking sites.  

Well, the way we buy has been transformed by Internet shopping, making it easier and more accessible to a wide variety of products. However, its benefits in terms of convenience, accessibility and market expansion cannot be overlooked, given the challenges it presents, such as security and logistical issues.  As technology continues to advance and consumer preferences evolve, online shopping will likely continue to be an important part of the retail landscape, influencing how we shop and interact with retailers.

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Problem Solution Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2

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Q. What are the two tasks in the IELTS Writing section?

Ans.  There are two tasks in the IELTS Writing section - Task 1 and Task 2. Task 1, for academic and general training, requires you to describe charts or graphs in around 150 words within 20 minutes. Task 2 takes about 40 minutes. You'll get a topic like "Online Shopping Essay," and you'll be asked to share your opinion, whether you agree or disagree.

Q. How much time should I spend on each writing task?

Ans.  For the IELTS Writing section, you should spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. However, you should manage your time carefully and ensure that you have enough time for each part of your writing. You should spend about five minutes planning and writing at a time.

Q. How can I organise the information in task 1?

Ans.  In Task 1 of the IELTS Writing section, you should organise the information by examining the graph or chart, identifying the main trends, and grouping data into appropriate categories. Write an introduction, a body paragraph, and a conclusion that briefly describes the graph or chart, describes the trends, and summarises the main points and conclusions. 

Q. How many words should I write?

Ans.  In Task 1 of the IELTS Writing section, you should write approximately 150 words; in Task 2, you should write approximately 250 words. However, focusing on high-quality content that addresses the prompt and demonstrates your writing skills is important rather than worrying too much about the word count. You should aim to write clearly and concisely, using appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures to express your ideas effectively.

Q. What are the tips for IELTS Writing Part 2?

Ans.  Here are some tips for IELTS Writing Part 2: Understand the question, plan your answer, use a clear structure, use a variety of sentence structures, use appropriate vocabulary, support your ideas with examples, stay on topic, and check your work for errors. Practice regularly and get feedback from a teacher or tutor if possible.

Q. Can I use bullet points or lists in my essay?

Ans.  No, you should not use bullet points or lists in your IELTS Writing Part 2 essay. Instead, you should present your ideas in full sentences and use appropriate paragraphing to organise your thoughts. Using bullet points or lists may make your writing seem incomplete or unstructured, resulting in a lower score. Remember to use a clear and logical structure, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, to present your ideas effectively.

Q. Is it necessary to write a conclusion for part 1?

Ans.  In IELTS Writing Part 1, writing a conclusion is unnecessary. However, you should ensure that your writing is well-organised and presents the information from the graph or chart. Include an introduction that gives an overview of the data, body paragraphs that describe the data in detail, and appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures. You may include a summary statement or final observation to reinforce your main points, but it is not required.

Q. How is task 2 scored?

Ans.  Task 2 in the IELTS Writing section is scored on a scale of 0-9 based on four criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each criterion is scored separately and then combined to give an overall band score for Task 2. The band score is an average of the four criteria, rounded to the nearest half-band or full-band.

Q. Is there a specific format for writing essays in IELTS?

Ans.  In IELTS Writing Task 2, you should follow a specific format: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. In the introduction, provide background information and state your opinion. In the body paragraphs, develop your main points with examples and evidence. In the conclusion, summarise your main points and restate your opinion. Use appropriate language and avoid contractions, abbreviations, or slang.

Q. How can I improve my writing skills?

Ans.  To improve your writing skills, you can:  

• Practice regularly
• Read widely
• Get feedback
• Focus on grammar and spelling
• Learn from the experts

Improving your writing skills takes time and effort, but by practising and seeking feedback, you can see improvement over time.

Q. Is grammar and spelling important in writing tasks?

Ans.  Yes, grammar and spelling are important in writing tasks. Poor grammar and spelling can make your writing difficult to read and understand and can detract from the clarity of your message. To ensure that your writing is clear and effective, it's important to use proper grammar and spelling. You can use online tools or grammar books to improve your knowledge, and you should always proofread your work carefully to catch any errors.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Online Shopping (Real Past IELTS Test/Exam)

by Dave | Real Past Tests | 1 Comment

This is an IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answer on the topic of shopping from the real IELTS exam/test.

The question type is a little bit strange because normally IELTS will split these up into 2 questions.

But it is essentially two questions: how does online shopping impact the environment? How does it impact jobs?

The environment is easy but the jobs part is bit harder…

Read how I handled it below!

Please consider signing up for my Patreon here in order to support my efforts and receive exclusive Ebooks and materials related to IELTS!

Before reading my essay, take some time to listen first and make notes on my vocabulary and ideas:

Online shopping is becoming more common these days. What effect could this have on the environment and the types of jobs required? Real Past IELTS Tests/Exams

The ubiquity of online shopping has brought with it concerns about the environment and an evolving job market. In my opinion, online shopping increases fossil fuel emissions and requires a massive, unskilled workforce for both delivery and production.

Online shopping uses fossil fuels in the making and transportation of goods. In order to manufacture a given product, such as a television, book, or bag of muesli, there is an environmental cost from sourcing and transporting all the elements, powering the factory that assembles it, and creating the plastic packaging, which is also a petroleum byproduct. In the case of a large company like Amazon, the product must be driven or flown to various centres around the country in order to be available for next day delivery. From the storage warehouse, it is then driven or flown to the consumer who ordered it, further burning fossil fuels. The net impact on the environment is self-evidently massive and hastens climate change.

Moreover, online shopping is such a sprawling business that it manipulates the labour market. First of all, there are the workers directly involved. Deliverymen must pack, unpack and ship products while the whole operation also requires a variety of managers, foremen, and office workers. These workers are notoriously underpaid and exploited when working for the largest online retailers, who also streamline the means of production in order to offer the lowest prices. Instead of sourcing from local businesses, which would be slightly more expensive, they opt for large factories largely based in China that can cheaply and quickly produce standardised products. This requires an army of factory workers, working at low wages in unsafe conditions.

In conclusion, online shopping contributes greatly to climate change and has created deep fissures in the job market. Governments should regulate these companies before their rampant profit-driven efficiency has unforeseen social and political implications.

Word Count: 304

1. The ubiquity of online shopping has brought with it concerns about the environment and an evolving job market. 2. In my opinion, online shopping increases fossil fuel emissions and requires a massive, unskilled workforce for both delivery and production.

• My first sentence simply paraphrases what the overall topic is about.
• The second sentence is my opinion – make sure that it is 100% clear!

1. Online shopping uses fossil fuels in the making and transportation of goods. 2. In order to manufacture a given product, such as a television, book, or bag of muesli, there is an environmental cost from sourcing and transporting all the elements, powering the factory that assembles it, and creating the plastic packaging, which is also a petroleum byproduct. 3. In the case of a large company like Amazon, the product must be driven or flown to various centres around the country in order to be available for next day delivery. 4. From the storage warehouse, it is then driven or flown to the consumer who ordered it, further burning fossil fuels. 5. The net impact on the environment is self-evidently massive and hastens climate change.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end of the sentence.
• Begin to develop your main idea with specific support. Notice how the specific support pulls out lots of great vocabulary related to the topic.
• Continue and try to use real companies like Amazon to support your main idea.
• Your paragraph and ideas should have a natural flow of ideas.
• In my last sentence I generalise a bit and relate it back to the overall question of the essay.

1. Moreover, online shopping is such a sprawling business that it manipulates the labour market. 2. First of all, there are the workers directly involved. 3. Deliverymen must pack, unpack and ship products while the whole operation also requires a variety of managers, foremen, and office workers. 4. These workers are notoriously underpaid and exploited when working for the largest online retailers, who also streamline the means of production in order to offer the lowest prices. 5. Instead of sourcing from local businesses, which would be slightly more expensive, they opt for large factories largely based in China that can cheaply and quickly produce standardised products. 6. This requires an army of factory workers, working at low wages in unsafe conditions.

• Write another topic sentence with a clear main idea.
• Begin to develop this one as well. Notice that I sometimes use long, sometimes short, sentences.
• Describe what happens with great detail and list as many jobs as you can.
• Describe the impact of these jobs – they are generally not regarded as quality jobs.
• Continue developing your main idea and writing about how the jobs are different.
• Draw conclusions/generalise with your last sentence.

1. In conclusion, online shopping contributes greatly to climate change and has created deep fissures in the job market. 2. Governments should regulate these companies before their rampant profit-driven efficiency has unforeseen social and political implications.

• Repeat your opinion and main ideas – don’t make this sentence too long.
• Add in a final thought/detail for full marks from the IELTS examiner.

What do the words in bold below mean?

The ubiquity of online shopping has brought with it concerns about the environment and an evolving job market . In my opinion, online shopping increases fossil fuel emissions and requires a massive, unskilled workforce for both delivery and production .

Online shopping uses fossil fuels in the making and transportation of goods. In order to manufacture a given product , such as a television, book, or bag of muesli , there is an environmental cost from sourcing and transporting all the elements , powering the factory that assembles it, and creating the plastic packaging , which is also a petroleum byproduct . In the case of a large company like Amazon, the product must be driven or flown to various centres around the country in order to be available for next day delivery . From the storage warehouse , it is then driven or flown to the consumer who ordered it, further burning fossil fuels . The net impact on the environment is self-evidently massive and hastens climate change.

Moreover, online shopping is such a sprawling business that it manipulates the labour market. First of all, there are the workers directly involved . Deliverymen must pack, unpack and ship products while the whole operation also requires a variety of managers, foremen, and office workers. These workers are notoriously underpaid and exploited when working for the largest online retailers , who also streamline the means of production in order to offer the lowest prices. Instead of sourcing from local businesses, which would be slightly more expensive, they opt for large factories largely based in China that can cheaply and quickly produce standardised products. This requires an army of factory workers , working at low wages in unsafe conditions .

In conclusion, online shopping contributes greatly to climate change and has created deep fissures in the job market. Governments should regulate these companies before their rampant profit-driven efficiency has unforeseen social and political implications .

ubiquity common

brought with it concerns also adds worries

evolving job market changing employment practices

fossil fuel emissions buring oil

unskilled workforce labourers

delivery mailing/sending

production making

manufacture producing

given product whatever it is they make

muesli cereal with oats, dried fruits, etc.

sourcing getting it from

elements parts

powering making operate

assembles puts together

packaging how it is wrapped

petroleum byproduct also comes from oil

centres buildings

next day delivery getting your package within 24hrs

storage warehouse where they stockpile products

burning fossil fuels contributing to climate change

net impact overall effect

self-evidently massive clearly huge

hastens speeds up

sprawling business very large operation

manipulates has control over

directly involved contribute to clearly

deliverymen people who carry packages

whole operation entire business

notoriously underpaid famously poorly paid

exploited taken advantage of

online retailers companies that sell products online

streamline make more efficient

means of production how something is made

opt for choose

based in located in

standardised all the same, consistent

army of factory workers lots of workers

low wages little salary

unsafe conditions dangerous working situation

greatly a lot

deep fissures fractured/huge gaps

rampant profit-driven efficiency uncontrolled pursuit of money

unforeseen hard to predict

implications results

Pronunciation

ju(ː)ˈbɪkwɪti   brɔːt wɪð ɪt kənˈsɜːnz   ɪˈvɒlvɪŋ ʤɒb ˈmɑːkɪt ˈfɒsl fjʊəl ɪˈmɪʃənz   ʌnˈskɪld ˈwɜːkˌfɔːs   dɪˈlɪvəri   prəˈdʌkʃən ˌmænjʊˈfækʧə   ˈgɪvn ˈprɒdʌkt ˈmjuːzli ˈsɔːsɪŋ   ˈɛlɪmənts ˈpaʊərɪŋ əˈsɛmblz ˈpækɪʤɪŋ pɪˈtrəʊlɪəm ˈbaɪˌprɒdʌkt ˈsɛntəz   nɛkst deɪ dɪˈlɪvəri ˈstɔːrɪʤ ˈweəhaʊs ˈbɜːnɪŋ ˈfɒsl fjʊəlz nɛt ˈɪmpækt   sɛlf-ˈɛvɪdəntli ˈmæsɪv   ˈheɪsnz   ˈsprɔːlɪŋ ˈbɪznɪs   məˈnɪpjʊleɪts   dɪˈrɛktli ɪnˈvɒlvd dɪˈlɪvəri mɛn   həʊl ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən   nəʊˈtɔːrɪəsli ˌʌndəˈpeɪd   ɪksˈplɔɪtɪd   ˈɒnˌlaɪn riːˈteɪləz ˈstriːmlaɪn   miːnz ɒv prəˈdʌkʃən ˈɒfə   ɒpt fɔː   beɪst ɪn   ˈstændədaɪzd   ˈɑːmi ɒv ˈfæktəri ˈwɜːkəz ləʊ ˈweɪʤɪz   ʌnˈseɪf kənˈdɪʃənz ˈgreɪtli   diːp ˈfɪʃəz   ˈræmpənt ˈprɒfɪt-ˈdrɪvn ɪˈfɪʃənsi   ˌʌnfɔːˈsiːn   ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃənz

Listen and repeat:

Vocabulary Practice

The u_____________ of online shopping has b_____________ about the environment and an e _____________ . In my opinion, online shopping increases f_____________ and requires a massive, u_____________ for both d_____________ and p_____________ .

Online shopping uses fossil fuels in the making and transportation of goods. In order to m_____________ a g_____________ , such as a television, book, or bag of m_____________ , there is an environmental cost from s _____________ and transporting all the e_____________ , p_____________ the factory that a_____________ it, and creating the plastic p_____________ , which is also a p_____________ . In the case of a large company like Amazon, the product must be driven or flown to various c_____________ around the country in order to be available for n_____________ . From the s_____________ , it is then driven or flown to the consumer who ordered it, further b_____________ . The n_____________ on the environment is s_____________ and h_____________ climate change.

Moreover, online shopping is such a s_____________ that it manipulates the labour market. First of all, there are the workers d_____________ . D_____________ must pack, unpack and ship products while the w_____________ also requires a variety of managers, foremen, and office workers. These workers are n_____________ and e_____________ when working for the largest o_____________ , who also s_____________ the m_____________ in order to o _____________ the lowest prices. Instead of sourcing from local businesses, which would be slightly more expensive, they o_____________ large factories largely b_____________ China that can cheaply and quickly produce s _____________ products. This requires an a_____________ , working at low w _____________ in u_____________ .

In conclusion, online shopping contributes g_____________ to climate change and has created d_____________ in the job market. Governments should regulate these companies before their r_____________ has u_____________ social and political i_____________ .

Listen and check:

Listening Practice

Watch the video below to get ideas for your own examples:

Reading Practice

Read this article for more ideas in case if a similar topic comes up on your test:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/amazon-made-online-commerce-bewildering/580660/

Speaking Practice

Answer the questions below and post your audio/video in my Facebook group :

• What do you usually go shopping for?
• Do you often go to shopping centers?
• Do you shop online often?
• How common are shopping centers in your country right now?

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Online Shopping - IELTS Cambridge 14

The growth of online shopping will one day lead to all shops in towns and cities closing. Do you agree or disagree?

I agree with your perspective that the closure of all stores in urban areas due to the rise of online shopping is highly unlikely. While online shopping has gained popularity and transformed the retail landscape, there are several reasons why physical stores are likely to persist.

One significant factor is the value of personal interaction and customer service. Physical stores provide an opportunity for customers to engage with sales staff, ask questions, seek recommendations, and receive personalized assistance. This level of human interaction and expertise is difficult to replicate in the online shopping experience. Many customers value the ability to touch, see, and try products before making a purchase decision, particularly for items such as clothing, furniture, or electronics.

Furthermore, the issue of delivery delays and potential problems is a valid concern. Online shopping offers convenience, but it is not without its challenges. Delays in delivery, issues with product quality, or difficulties in returns can be frustrating for customers. Some individuals may prefer the immediacy and assurance of acquiring goods directly from a physical store, where they can obtain the product immediately without relying on shipping and delivery services.

Moreover, certain products are better suited for physical retail. Perishable items like fresh produce, delicate goods, or items that require specialized handling may be more reliably obtained from a physical store where customers can personally select and inspect the products.

In conclusion, while online shopping has revolutionized the retail industry, it is unlikely to entirely replace physical stores in urban areas. The value of personal interaction, customer service, the convenience of immediate access, and the limitations of online delivery for certain products all contribute to the continued relevance and importance of physical retail. The future of retail is likely to involve a blend of both online and offline shopping experiences, providing consumers with a range of options to meet their individual preferences and needs.

BAND 5.0 IELTS ESSAY SAMPLE: ANALYZING ONLINE SHOPPING IMPACT ON TRADITIONAL STORES

All General Writing Task 1 Samples / Band 5.0

In today's world, online shopping has become increasingly popular, affecting traditional brick-and-mortar stores negatively. Some people argue that this trend has more disadvantages than advantages, while others think it is beneficial for both consumers and businesses. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Essay Sample

It's argued about the advantages and disadvantages aspect of online shopping nowadays. Some people believe this phenomenon cause we face to bad consequences while, others interest to modern life style and they believe the positive aspects of online shopping outweigh of negative aspects. I think so the advantages of this event are more than the disadvantages to some extent. Firstly, in industrial notations the pace of life is faster then past therfore we do not have enough time to go shopping in person. Secondly, nowadays healthy rivalry is the most important thing for business promoting and online shopping is the state of the art of equipment to competition. According to this two main reasons the benefits aspects of online shopping fits to our modern lifestyle. On the other hand online shopping can lead us to some problems. The first thing is we should find trustable site and application to use our debit cards or credit cards which, we fill out the payment form. The other consequence we encounter with is sometimes the pictures of products don't match with original products so we should be confirming to purchase somethings which, have clear and complete features of product. Therefore when somebody want to purchase something in online shopping can take steps to tackle of these problems. In conclusion, according to pros and cons of online shopping, it seems the vanity ways to shopping more fast. We can compare the futures of each product so we have various choices. On the other hand when somebody want to select online shopping for purchasing should be face a range of considerations to have successful shopping. According to these reasons I my opinion the benefits of online shopping outweigh the drawbacks

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Essay 439 – Impact of online shopping on the environment and job

Gt writing task 2 / essay sample # 439.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Nowadays, online shopping is extremely popular, and it has both positive and negative impacts.

Discuss the impact of it on the environment. Does this trend have any impact on the job market?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer 1:

In the contemporary era, online shopping has attained immense popularity, exerting both positive and negative influences on various facets of society. This essay delves into its impact on the environment and its potential ramifications for the job market.

One pivotal consequence of the online shopping trend is its environmental impact. On the positive side, the digital retail model can reduce the need for extensive physical infrastructure, such as sprawling shopping malls and brick-and-mortar stores. This can lead to a reduction in land usage and deforestation, indirectly contributing to environmental conservation. For instance, the growth of e-commerce has led to the repurposing of vacant commercial spaces, reducing urban sprawl and the depletion of natural habitats. However, the convenience of online shopping often leads to excessive packaging and increased transportation emissions due to the individualized delivery of goods. Consequently, the use of non-recyclable materials and the carbon footprint associated with transportation contribute to the degradation of the environment.

The surge in online shopping has also sparked debates about its impact on the job market. On the one hand, the e-commerce sector has generated new employment opportunities in areas such as digital marketing, logistics, and technology development. For instance, the need for skilled IT professionals to maintain online platforms and manage digital transactions has led to job creation in these fields. Conversely, the growth of online retail has disrupted traditional retail jobs, leading to the closure of physical stores and potential job losses for retail workers. Moreover, the automation of order fulfilment processes and the introduction of artificial intelligence-driven customer service systems could potentially displace certain positions in the long term.

In conclusion, the proliferation of online shopping has distinct effects on the environment and the job market. While it can contribute to environmental conservation through reduced physical infrastructure, its adverse environmental consequences stem from excessive packaging and transportation emissions. Similarly, the e-commerce industry has generated new job opportunities and posed challenges to traditional retail employment.

Model Answer 2:

eCommerce has witnessed a tremendous surge in popularity in recent years, offering convenience and accessibility to consumers worldwide. However, this trend brings with it both positive and negative consequences. In this essay, I will explore the impact of online shopping on the environment and its repercussions for the job market.

Online shopping has undeniable environmental advantages, primarily stemming from reduced transportation and energy consumption. With the shift from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to online platforms, the need for physical retail spaces and their associated energy usage decreases significantly. Additionally, online shopping allows for more efficient distribution and delivery systems, enabling products to be sourced directly from warehouses and eliminating the need for multiple intermediaries. As a result, carbon emissions and fuel consumption related to transportation are minimised.

While online shopping has provided convenience for consumers, it has led to the displacement of jobs in traditional retail sectors. The closure of physical stores has resulted in many individuals losing their livelihoods, leading to economic challenges and personal hardships. However, it is important to note that technological advancements have always altered the employment landscape throughout history. The rise of online shopping should be viewed as part of a broader shift in the economy, requiring individuals to adapt and acquire new skills to thrive in the evolving job market. For example, the closure of traditional bookstores due to online book sales has resulted in job and business losses for some employees. However, this has also paved the way for opportunities in the e-commerce industry, creating new jobs in logistics, digital marketing, and customer service.

In conclusion, online shopping has brought about a range of impacts, including positive environmental benefits and challenges for individuals who have lost their jobs in traditional retail sectors. By embracing the positive aspects of online shopping while addressing its negative consequences, we can strive for a sustainable and inclusive future for both the environment and individuals impacted by this evolving retail landscape.

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Ielts sample essay -- internet shopping (good or bad development).

      -IELTS Writing Task 2 (Essay) Question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

It is observed that shopping on the Internet is increasing in popularity.

Is it a good or bad development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Sample Essay

In recent times, online shopping has become the preferred mode of purchasing things as compared to traditional methods, such as visiting brick-and-mortar shops and stores. This has been a result of a combination of factors including easy internet access and busy lifestyles.

As with most things, this trend has both positives and negatives. One obvious merit is that buying products from online platforms, an example of which is Amazon, can give more choices to customers than is practically possible for any physical store. Moreover, it is a big boon for those who find it difficult to make time to go shopping because of their personal and professional commitments. After all, one can shop online at any time of day or night from any location. Last but not least, it offers contactless shopping, something which has found exceptional favour with most in the post-Covid world.

On the other hand, there are certain demerits of buying things on the internet. One major issue is that it is impossible to gauge the quality of products from images. Additionally, many sellers cheat consumers by misleading them about the details of the items being sold. However, these problems are taken care of with features such as free return of products and allowing the customers to rate both the product and the seller, which most shopping websites have.

All in all, I firmly believe that choosing to shop through online portals is a positive trend and any minor problems arising from this can be easily resolved.

***************************

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Give the the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping- IELTS Writing Task 2

Updated On Dec 27, 2023

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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

Give the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping.

Advantages/Disadvantages essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay and mention that the essay will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages.

Paragraph 1 – Talk about the advantages of how online shopping can be beneficial for people.

Paragraph 2 – Implore the disadvantage of online shopping as the cause of concern.

Restate your opinions.

Sample Essay

Despite knowing what time it is on the clock or what the weather is outside or there is a pandemic, we can conveniently buy things that we want from online stores. Very few people feel the need to venture into the stores. There is no denying that online shopping has become more popular and less tiring than in-store shopping. This trend has positive and negative aspects, which are discussed in the following essay.

On the one hand, the online shopping brings in more benefits than in-store shopping. Firstly, it saves time for both buyers and sellers as buyers do not have to travel and sellers need not show their goods one by one to every consumer. Further, they can get a perfect knock-off on the prices and easily compare the products before hitting the purchase button, leading to significant cost benefits for shoppers. In this manner, people can make more sensible decisions after evaluating and considering the price, size, and models. Moreover, it enables them to shop easily from any part of the world.

On the other hand, shopping online does not enable to touch or see the product, in reality, making it hard to examine the quality of the product resulting in purchasing the product of poor quality and sometimes impossible to return or exchange the product, which in turn leads to squandering the money. Another concerning thing is that shopping online has made people compulsive shoppers. Furthermore, there is always a risk of getting financial information to be exploited by hackers for security reasons as there is always news of data breaches even from renowned brands and sites.

On a final note, I would say that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of online shopping. Still, one must be careful of fraud and misrepresentation while buying from different websites.

Band 9 Vocabulary

Meaning – (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world. Example – An influenza pandemic may have skewed the results

Meaning – a business enterprise, typically one that involves risk. Example – There was a recent joint venture between two aircraft manufacturers.

• Significant 

Meaning – sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy. Example – There was a significant increase in sales after they advertised a heavy discount.

Meaning – done or chosen in accordance with wisdom or prudence or likely to be of benefit. Example – I do not think it is sensible to spend so much on a particular project.

• Squandering 

Meaning – wasting (something, especially money or time) recklessly and foolishly. Example – She squandered her allowance without any thought.

Meaning – irresistibly interesting or exciting or compelling. Example – Anna was becoming a compulsive viewer of the play.

Meaning – selfishly take advantage of someone in order to profit from them or otherwise benefit oneself. Example – 500 companies sprang up and exploited this new technology.

Meaning – an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct. Example – He sued the company for breach of the agreement.

Meaning – wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Example – He claimed he was a licensed psychologist, but he turned out to be a fraud.

• Misrepresentation

Meaning – the action or offence of giving a false or misleading account of the nature of something. Example – She is seeking damages on allegations of misrepresentation.

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Buying Things On The Internet Is Becoming More And More Popular

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Sample essay

On the other hand, online shopping does have many limitations. To start with, reviews can be fake and you cannot buy a product on the basis of reviews alone. Another downside is that you cannot touch or feel the product before you buy it. You have to make the purchase decision based on the picture shown on the screen. This can be problematic when you buy clothes because without actually feeling the fabric it is hard to ascertain its quality. Online shopping is not suitable for last minute purchases because it may take days or weeks before the shipment arrives. Now in case you are not happy with the product, you have to return it and wait many more days for the replacement to arrive.

In conclusion, the main advantage of online shopping is the convenience. However, it does have many downsides which cannot be overlooked. Hence, in my opinion, it is hard to say whether advantages of online shopping outweigh the disadvantages.

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These Days Many People Prefer Online Shopping to Conventional Shopping - IELTS Band 9 Essay

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Model Essay 1

Online shopping has revolutionized the way we buy products, offering distinct benefits and notable drawbacks. This essay will critically analyse the advantages of effortless access and competitive pricing offered by online shopping, while also exploring the disadvantages, including potential dissatisfaction with products and the propensity for impulsive purchases.

One of the primary advantages of online shopping is the unmatched convenience it offers. Unlike traditional retail outlets, which are constrained by store hours, online stores are accessible 24/7, allowing consumers to shop at their leisure, irrespective of their geographic location. This constant availability is particularly beneficial for residents in remote or rural areas, who might not have access to brick-and-mortar stores nearby. Furthermore, online platforms frequently host sales events featuring significantly reduced prices due to the fierce competition among e-commerce businesses. For instance, major online retailers like Amazon and Alibaba offer annual events such as Black Friday or Singles Day. These events not only provide substantial discounts but also a wide array of product choices, including exclusive items that are often not available in physical stores, enhancing consumer choice and accessibility.

However, online shopping is not without its drawbacks. The primary issue is the inability to physically examine products before purchase, which can lead to dissatisfaction upon delivery. For example, a garment might look appealing online but fail to meet expectations in terms of fit or fabric quality, resulting in a cumbersome return process that not only wastes time but also resources. Moreover, the ease and convenience of browsing from one's home can inadvertently lead to impulse purchases. Psychological studies suggest that the immediate gratification offered by online shopping can increase spontaneous spending, impacting financial management and consumer welfare. This phenomenon is particularly concerning as it can exacerbate uncontrolled buying habits, leading to financial strain and accumulation of unnecessary goods.

In essence, online shopping offers remarkable convenience and cost benefits, vastly expanding consumer choice. However, it also bears drawbacks such as the risk of receiving unsatisfactory products and fostering impulsive buying behaviours. These factors collectively shape the modern shopping experience, highlighting both its efficiency and its pitfalls.

Model Essay 2

Individuals tend to do online shopping rather than the traditional one. While affordable prices and the range of products are benefits of this tendency, there are some drawbacks such as wasting time and taking risks.

As regards positive effects of online shopping, it is more likely to access a wide range of items with affordable prices. There is a big competition among companies in order to sell their products. Therefore, some firms decrease the prices from time to time, and they inform their customers about the sales via either emails or text messages. Additionally, many people do not have a chance to go to the stores because of their hectic schedule. As a result, people would prefer to search their needs online, and they could opt for the most affordable ones among many choices. Despite these benefits, online shopping has some negative effects as well.

Firstly, for some people this activity is quite time-consuming because of their personalities. To be more precise, some individuals are so indecisive that they could seek from one website to another one even if they face a wide range of products on the earlier website. Consequently, they spend their time searching for the most attractive one. Secondly, online shopping does not provide an opportunity to try some items, such as clothes. When you receive your order, you may be disappointed with its size. Consequently, you may have to select a new one to order, which is time-consuming as well.

In conclusion, online shopping has some advantages and disadvantages. While competitive prices and variety are of its benefits, wasting time and purchasing your needs without experiencing are their drawbacks.

• Task 2 Essays

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Buying things on the Internet (Corrected essay)

Buying things on the Internet, such as books, air tickets and groceries, is becoming more and more popular. Do the advantages of shopping in this way outweigh the disadvantages?

WRITING   TASK  2

You   should   spend   about  40  minutes   on   this   task.

Write   about   the   following   topic.  

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write   at   least  250  words. 

---------------------------- 

Sample essay written by Nguyen Yen

In recent years, there has been a growing trend that people tend to buy things on the Internet. This present both pros and cos, however, in my opinion, its benefits are much more significant than the drawbacks.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend that people tend to buy things on the Internet in online shopping . This present both pros and cos cons , however, in my opinion, its benefits are much more significant than the drawbacks.

The phrase “buy things on the Internet” is already used in the essay topic. Try to shorten it by using a suitable buzzword, such as “online shopping”

Words such as 'people' and 'ideas' have the potential to be vague. So, avoid saying “people tend to” if possible.

The second sentence in the introduction has too many commas. Break it into two simple sentences if necessary.

On the one hand, shopping online online shopping brings to the consumers some disadvatages. Initially, since people are unable to touch or to see the products they want to buy in reality, it is always hard for them to examine the quality of these products. As a result, they might purchase the items with poor quality. In addition to that, as the consumers do not feel happy with the items they had bought online, they tend to abandon these products or dont do not use them at all. This is definitely a watse waste of money. Moreover, buyings thing on the Internet often makes people confused since there are a great number of shops on the Internet. To be specific, the buyers might see the same products in several shops, but the prices for these items can be very different, ranging from reasonable to prohibitedly expensive price . Consequently, they will not know which products they should purchase.

The second sentence is too wordy, due to the fact that the words “ people ”, “ they ”, and “ them ” all have been used despite being unnecessary. Since the main focus here is the products, not the people using them, I suggest rewriting the whole sentence into passive voice .

Avoid using contraction (“ don’t ”) in an academic context.

The ideas and sentence structures being used here are kinda repetitive. Regarding of online shopping, there are many issues that are worth mentioning ( shipment delays, misleading online marketing, annoying advertises, etc)

On the other hand, I am of the opinion that shopping online online shopping brings people a number of benefits. First, shopping online online shopping allows the consumers to browse for products and checking comparing the prices between these online shops. In this way, people can make a better decision to buy what they like after taking prices, sizes and models of the products into consideration. To speak From my experience, I used to buy an elegant dress es at virtual shop s , which was cheaper compared to that of some shops near my houses. Second, buyings things on the Internet helps people save a great deal of time. That is to say, since people nowadays are often so caught up with work and study, shopping online online shopping is a wise choice which doesn’t does not require them to go the the stores. With a click of mouse With just a click , they can buy the things they need and the shippers will deliver their products to the customers as soon as possible. Third, since there is a high demand of buying things online, many people can realize their dream of starting up their own business and achieve success in the long rub run. This can be seen as a positive trend because it creates good job opportunities for the people and thereby help people to improve their income and well-being. This also contributes to boost ing the economy of a nation in general l .

While the second body paragraph is very long (216 words!), its quaility doesn’t appear much better than the first one. Try to write only 70 words, you will definitely see an improvement.

Many idioms are introduced in this paragraph: “a great deal of time”, “in the long run”, “to be caught up”, “to take in consideration”, “with just a click”. However, the attempt to use them isn’t really succesful, due to some spelling mistakes.

The vocabulary is kinda limitted here. However, there are a variety of connectives (“on the one hand”, , “first”, “in this way”, “thereby”, etc).

In conclusion, although buyings things on the Internet exerts some adverse aspects, the advantages can justify these.

Too short and unconvincing. Need to give more emphasis.

Words: 418 words

Overall: 6.5

Task Response: 7

✓ addresses all parts of the task (the essay has answer the required question, and write more than 250 words) ✓ presents a clear position throughout the response ✓ presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus

Coherence and Cohesion: 7

✓ logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout ✓ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use ✓ presents a clear central topic within each paragraph

Lexical Resource: 6

✓ uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task ✓ attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy (the writer uses very few topic-related words. And when they are used, mistakes are presented “shopping online” ) ✓ makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 6

✓ uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms ✓ makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication (lots of the article “the” are missing, so I cannot give a 7 score here)

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This essay is corrected by  Anh Tran  -   Let's Write Something Group .

---------------------

Other sample essay

With the advent of technological advancement, 21st century has witnessed a boom in e-commerce. The number of online shopping websites is increasing exponentially. Shopping online has its upsides and downsides but the positives of this technological blessing far outweighs its negatives.

Firstly, online shopping saves one from travel and traffic problems. I live in the outskirts of Karachi and commuting to the city for buying stuff is not an easy task for me. Further, Karachi is an overly-populated city with the worst traffic situation, all this makes it more difficult to travel. This problem is hugely resolved by the e-buying facility. Everything is simply a click away, whether it is groceries, air tickets, clothes or books. Whatever I order is duly received at my doorstep, without my having to embark on long, hectic shopping-trips.

Secondly, buying things on the internet provides you with a wide range of options. Consider yourself in a gigantic super-mart having access to every type of item you can imagine! On the internet there is no physical space limitation, therefore the variety available for a single item is endless. Also, there are countless websites where you can compare product prices, specifications, extra features, deals and a lot more. One such website is Compare.Pk, where you can select an item and compare it with similar items of other brands for specifications and prices. All this not only provides convenience to customers but also exposes them to a very huge market for buying the most appropriate item.

In conclusion, it can be unambiguously agreed upon that the advancement in e-buying has resulted in convenience for buyers. One only has to select and order an item and it arrives at his doorstep. Also, the available options for a single commodity are endless, so that a person can compare and buy the best.

(Written by Narmeen Habib )

Corrected Essay:

With the advent of technological advancement, 21st century has witnessed a boom in e-commerce the number of online shopping websites is increasing exponentially. Shopping online has its upsides and downsides but the positives of this technological blessing far outweighs its negatives .   The positive impacts on online shopping undermine its negative sides because the advanced technology can save our time and give more options for purchasing .

The opening paragraph does not contain a clear thesis statement. It is important to tell what you are going to talk about and where you are positioning on the views.

Phrases ‘ a boom in e commerce’ and ‘ is increasing exponentially’ have similar meaning. It is better to keep it in short, but clear sentence.

Firstly, online shopping saves one from travel and traffic problems. Online shopping does not require people to travel . I live in the outskirts of Karachi and commuting to the city for buying stuff is not an easy task for me. Further, Karachi is an overly-populated city with the worst traffic situation, all this makes it more difficult to travel.   As living in Karachi, an over-populated city with its congestion problems, many citizens like me have to overcome difficult situation only for buying stuff in the city centre .  This problem is hugely resolved by the e-buying facility. Everything is simply a click away, whether it is groceries, air tickets, clothes or books. Whatever I order is duly received at my doorstep, without my having to embark on long, hectic shopping-trips .   This platform enables consumers to experience shopping activities in simple ways. Take the biggest e-commerce in the word, eBay which provides wide varieties of products, for example. As a student, I often ordered books, air tickets, and fashion items. Likewise, many housewives in my neighbourhood prefer to purchase groceries through this website. If eBay was never exist before, buyers like us might have to spend longer times taking long trips to get our shopping lists. This example tells about how an effective shopping is advantageous as a time saver.

Firstly is ommited as the topic sentence is not too clear enough to represent the main idea.

The use of ‘I’ in your example does not cover people’ problems in general, so I have changed ‘I’ into ‘ many citizen like me’

Everything is simply a click away needs to be elaborated . Please see the changes.

You only mention groceries, air tickets, clothes or books without giving explanation. If you want to score higher, it is your task to present your ideas in details. I have made some detailed explanations with this.

Secondly, Another benefit is that buying things items on the internet serves unlimited choices provides you with a wide range of options . Consider yourself in a gigantic super-mart having access to every type of item you can imagine! On the internet there is no physical space limitation, therefore the variety available for a single item is endless. Also, there are countless websites where you can compare product prices, specifications, extra features, and deals and a lot more . One such website is Compare.Pk, where you can select an item and compare it with similar items of other brands for specifications and prices. All this not only provides convenience to customers but also exposes them to a very huge market for buying the most appropriate item.

You need to link both main ideas in the first sentence using transitional phrase. But remember, reliance too much on this will score you lower. Use them when necessary .

The word ‘ things’ is a weak lexical resource. It is better to use some alternative vocabs like stuff, items, daily needs , etc.

A wide range of options have been mentioned in the intro, you need to paraphase it. Serves unlimited choices.

You do not need to use exclamation mark. Present your sentence in a smooth way.

Consider yourself in a gigantic super-mart having access to every type of item you can imagine!. This sentence also does not make a sense.

And a lot more is vague. You’d better omit this phrase.

In conclusion, it can be unambiguously agreed upon it is true that the advancement in e-buying has resulted in convenience for buyers. One only has to select and order an item and it arrives at his doorstep. Also, the available options for a single commodity are endless, so that a person can compare and buy the best.

You have to summarise your main points and reiterate your opinion. Some ideas presented are sidetrack.

Your opinion does not state your opinion clearly.

It can be unambiguously agreed upon is counted as 6 words. It is always good to be succinct and keep straight to the point.  

Let me give you an example of this: In conclusion, the disadvantages of e-commerce trend are overshadowed by the benefits resulting from modern technology. I am convinced that online shopping is one of great innovations of people doing transaction as it reduces time and provides more options.

Overall: 7.0

·         Task Response: 7

✓ addresses all parts of the task (the author wrote 303 words)

✗ presents a clear position throughout the response (the way you present your idea in the intro is too generic)

✓ presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus

·         Coherence and Cohesion: 6

✓ arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression

✓ uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical

✓ may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately

✗  uses paragraphing, but not always logically ( missing links between intro and conclusion)

Lexical Resource: 7

✓ uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision

✓ uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation

✓ may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 7

✓ uses a variety of complex structures

✓ has produces frequent error-free sentences

✓ has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors

 -----------------------

This essay is corrected by  Eddy Suaib .

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Online Shopping: Topic Ideas, Grammar, Vocabulary and Sample Answers

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In this tutorial, we discuss online shopping IELTS topic ideas, vocabulary and sample answers.

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Essay On Online Shopping - IELTS Writing Task 2 Samples

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Updated on 13 April, 2023

Mrinal Mandal

Study abroad expert.

If you have plans to take the International English Language Testing System or IELTS exam , you must know the exam pattern. To help you tackle the writing section, we have outlined two sample  essays on online shopping that can help you know how to gain a high score. Read thoroughly to understand the flow, tone, and points to keep in mind.

Table of Contents

What do you have to say about online shopping: essay 1, do you think online shopping has multiple impacts: essay 2, important ielts exam resources.

Online shopping is an absolute boon. While its obvious benefit is that it enables the flexibility to order from the comfort of your home, that’s not all.

Apart from a relaxed experience, one also gets more choices, assured quality across sites like Flipkart and Amazon and a vast range of discounts and offers. This popularity of online shopping has forced even the biggest of businesses and brands to resort to and trust e-commerce platforms. 

Not just customers, sellers too get many advantages. As an owner of an online store, you also get an array of benefits through online shopping. The most significant benefit is that the world becomes your oyster! You gain increased sales and revenue given that you are now not limited to a particular city, area, or geography. Your business can receive orders from international clients to buyers in the country's remotest towns.

However, although buying and selling online goods has numerous benefits, many people on the internet tend to dupe others and hack details. Hence, it is best to be careful when shopping online and to use safe and secure interfaces.

Word Count: 185

Tentative Band Score: 6

Read More Essay Samples For IELTS :

Everything in this world has both pros and cons. The same is the case with online shopping. Let’s start with the positives.

The most significant advantage of online shopping is that you can easily place an order from the comfort of your home. One need not wander from one retail store to another or go to the mall. Additionally, minimal physical contact with others makes it ideal for times like the pandemic. So, all in all, one saves energy, time, and money in the process.

That’s not all. Online shopping also allows you to buy products for a cheaper amount. One also has access to a more extensive stock online,, so you never have to be disappointed about the lack of availability of your chosen outfit in your size or any other product that you wish to buy. 

Lastly, in today’s fast-moving world, online shopping is indispensable. It also has allowed us to shop for our loved ones who live across states or countries.

In terms of the negatives, these online shopping stores can lead to you spending way more money than you would have intended. Additionally, the most significant issue with online shopping is that the item turns out to be different from what you saw online. Such wasted time and effort could be an issue, especially if you want something urgently. 

But, all in all, the impacts of online shopping are multi-fold. It depends on your experiences and how you feel about the concept. Being careful and ordering ahead of time could be a great way to reduce the negative consequences of online shopping.

Word Count: 267

Tentative Band Score: 7

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Online Shopping is Significantly Increasing IELTS Essay

Online shopping is significantly increasing. What impact does this have on people, what are the disadvantages and what are the job opportunities?

Online shopping is significantly increasing. What effects does this have on the environment and the types of jobs required?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

Real IELTS Exam Question, Reported On:

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Online Shopping is Significantly Increasing Essay

With the proliferation of the internet and smart phones, the trend of online shopping is growing rapidly. This positively impacts environment as it reduces the need of a shop which has a huge ecological footprint. This impacts society in a favourable way by reducing the cost of goods and in an adverse way by reducing employment.

Traditionally, the products are sold in a physical shop that requires lighting, air conditioning, and infrastructure. All these result in environment damage as these require a lot of electricity and raw materials that lead to emission of green house gases (GHG). Online shops, on the other hand, merely transport goods from a large regional warehouse whose ecological footprint, a measure of GHG emissions, is lower than local shops. Thus online shops contribute in environment preservation.

Online shops have better economies of scale and thus offer prices which are lesser than local shops. This reduces the financial burden on pockets of the citizens and enables them to spend more on education, culture, and entertainment. These activities promote social stability and harmony. However, they often lead to lower employment in a society. Various studies have proved that online shops employ fewer people and they result in shutting down of local businesses. For example, Amazon and Flipkart offer heavy discounts on various products that local stores can not provide. This shifts consumer choice to these websites and this results in loss of local jobs.

In conclusion, online shopping impacts a society and the environment in various positive and negative ways. While it reduces employment opportunities for some, it reduces the cost of goods for a large majority of people. It also reduces the impact of business on the environment. This builds environment sustainability, social stability and economic prosperity in a region.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Online Shopping

In recent years, online shopping has gained more and more popularity all over the world. This tendency has several impacts on the environment and on various jobs related to electronic commerce.

The rise of online shopping is both beneficial and harmful to the environment to some extent. One obvious benefit of this trend is that it can help reduce the number of private vehicles travelling to brick-and-mortar stores since orders of customers from different locations can be grouped and delivered to homes at once. This will eventually lessen a great deal of exhaust fumes which is one of the causes of air pollution. However, if people are encouraged to shop online more, more plastic wastes will be released to the environment, especially water body such as rivers and oceans. This, as a consequence, will do harm to natural habitats of numerous marine species and worsen the problem of environmental pollution.

The growth of e-shopping has also brought both negative and positive impacts on people’s employment. On the one hand, this trend has created a variety of work opportunities for people, especially for those who major in information technology. To maintain an e-store, there will be a need for many kinds of jobs such as database administrators, web designers, delivery drivers, etc. On the other hand, when e-shopping is becoming more and more popular, an influx of people working at traditional retail stores might lose their jobs and face unemployment. This will place a huge burden on the government to create alternative jobs for these individuals, which might take a long time and require a large amount of budget.

In conclusion, online shopping impacts the environment and the labour market in both positive and negative ways.

Online Shopping is Increasing Significantly IELTS Essay

Recently, online shopping has become a hot trend. Purchasing and selling online has become popular and the services are increasing manifold. eBay and Amazon offer a wide variety of products, which we can avail from the comfort of our home. Major disadvantages included in window shopping are time-consuming, traveling to faraway shops, parking the vehicles at a time of a rush hour, etc. Online shopping has reduced these inconveniences for consumers.

While shopping online or browsing the internet, people come across a wide range of products to choose from. They are able to compare the prices and features of their choices on different websites. This helps them to make a well-thought decision. Flipkart and Jabong are two famous online shops in India. They not only provide the product description and price information but also allow comparison of products of the same category, providing customers reviews and opinions and ratings. The ordered items can be altered or canceled as per the customers’ needs. You can return or exchange the items you bought if you are not satisfied with the quality.

Shopping is considered a social experience. Certain people enjoy shopping and lingering about in the markets at leisure. Popular websites often sell things at a cheaper rate than local stores, offering attractive discount rates. This is also another reason why online shops are being preferred recently.

Online shopping is much more beneficial for customers in comparison to in-store purchasing. Since it is hassle-free, online shopping is convenient. Thus, shopping over the internet is definitely a positive trend, and will grow more popular over the years.

Online Shopping Impact on Environment IELTS Essay

The world in which we live has seen significant changes due to the advent of modern technologies such as the internet. Shopping is not an exception. These days, thanks to the development of the internet, online shopping has dramatically flourished. This essay seeks to investigate the effects of this trend on the environment and society.

While the development of internet shopping has a cascade of effects on the environment, some of them are more significant. Firstly, the number of conventional shops has dropped due to the lack of their necessity; hence, the space needed for their construction remained undeveloped. Moreover, less traveling is needed by people in order to purchase a merchandise.

Consequently, less emission is produced because of the fewer number of the vehicles on the streets; therefore, the air is less polluted. As a tangible example, studies show that in the United States alone, the tendency toward online shopping has prevented 10 million cars from leaving garages during the first three months of 2017. One can only imagine how much pollution has been averted.

The society has also been affected by this trend. First and foremost, indolence is spread. People are less active because of online shopping. The only physical activity needed is to press a button on the computer. Secondly, local commerce is negatively suffered. People prefer to buy online due to its convenience; therefore, fewer patrons visit local shops to buy products; hence, local businesses are disappearing. For example, statistic shows that after the development of online shopping, the survival rate of small businesses has dropped from 61 percent to 23 percent.

To summarize, online shopping has a plethora of effects on both our environment and our society from changing the look of surroundings and cleaning the air to rendering people lazier and jeopardizing small businesses.

IELTS Essay on Online Shopping

Despite the fact that we know what time it is on the clock, what the weather is like outside or there is a pandemic, we can conveniently buy the things we need in online stores. Very few people feel the need to take risks in stores. It cannot be denied that online shopping has become more popular and less tedious than in-store shopping. This trend has positive and negative sides, which are discussed in the following essay.

To inaugurate with, the fact that online shopping brings more benefits than shopping in a store. Firstly, it saves time for both buyers and sellers, as buyers don’t have to travel and sellers don’t have to show their products one by one to each consumer. Furthermore, they can get a perfect knock on prices and can easily compare products before pressing the buy button, which can lead to significant cost benefits for the buyers. In this manner, so people can make smarter decisions after evaluating and considering size, price and models. Also, it allows them to easily shop from any part of the world. As a result, the number of job opportunities in the future will increase as demand grows.

On the other hand, online shopping does not allow you to touch or see the product, which in fact makes it difficult to check the quality of the product, which leads to the purchase of an inferior product, and sometimes it is impossible to return or exchange the product, which in turn leads to wasted money. Another problem is that online shopping has made people compulsive shoppers. In addition, there is always the risk of financial information being obtained for use by hackers for security reasons, since there is always news of data leaks even from well-known brands and websites.

In conclusion, it can be clearly seen that although product reliability and financial risk have a certain impact on people, employment opportunities for them, especially in the field of employment, should also be considered. However, one must be careful about fraud and misrepresentation when buying from different sites.

IELTS Writing Task 2 on Online Shopping

The ubiquity of online shopping has brought with it concerns about the environment and an evolving job market. In my opinion, online shopping increases fossil fuel emissions and requires a massive, unskilled workforce for both delivery and production.

Online shopping uses fossil fuels in the making and transportation of goods. In order to manufacture a given product, such as a television, book, or bag of muesli, there is an environmental cost from sourcing and transporting all the elements, powering the factory that assembles it, and creating the plastic packaging, which is also a petroleum byproduct. In the case of a large company like Amazon, the product must be driven or flown to various centers around the country in order to be available for next-day delivery. From the storage warehouse, it is then driven or flown to the consumer who ordered it, further burning fossil fuels. The net impact on the environment is self-evidently massive and hastens climate change.

Moreover, online shopping is such a sprawling business that it manipulates the labor market. First of all, there are the workers directly involved. Deliverymen must pack, unpack and ship products while the whole operation also requires a variety of managers, foremen, and office workers. These workers are notoriously underpaid and exploited when working for the largest online retailers, who also streamline the means of production in order to offer the lowest prices. Instead of sourcing from local businesses, which would be slightly more expensive, they opt for large factories largely based in China that can cheaply and quickly produce standardized products. This requires an army of factory workers, working at low wages in unsafe conditions.

In conclusion, online shopping contributes greatly to climate change and has created deep fissures in the job market. Governments should regulate these companies before their rampant profit-driven efficiency has unforeseen social and political implications.

Also Check: Immigration has a Major Impact on Society IELTS Essay

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IELTS Topics: Shopping

Posted by David S. Wills | May 5, 2020 | IELTS Tips | 0

In the past, I have spoken often about the value of learning vocabulary in topics . In fact, I strongly believe that you should do most of your IELTS studying by topic. For example, environment , childhood , and technology are three common IELTS topics that frequently appear in the exam and making study plans based on these topics can be more interesting and rewarding. Today, however, we are going to talk about shopping.

Shopping is a common topic of daily conversation all over the world, and so it is predictable that it would be an IELTS topic, too. It can appear in the speaking or writing test, and it is also possible that it may occur in the reading or listening section of the exam.

In this lesson, I am going to guide you through some sample questions about shopping and also suggest some listening material. I will even give you a few practice reading questions! 😀

IELTS Vocabulary: Shopping

Before we begin looking at some practice IELTS questions, let’s start with some vocabulary. I do not believe that it is helpful to learn words insolation so I can going to give you a few words and then the phrases and sentences in which they are normally used. You should try to learn the groups of words that go together rather than single words.

Buying Things

First of all, let’s look at the word buy and its synonyms: purchase , get , acquire , obtain , procure , pay for, and pick up . The most common of these words is “buy.” We can use it in a simple structure:

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT I will buy a car.

Of course, we can modify this by changing the verb tense or adding some sort of qualifier before the verb or an adjective before the noun:

I have never bought a car.

I will buy a used car.

We can more or less swap in the other words but remember that they are not exact synonyms. They just have close meanings. We can also divide them according to how formal or informal they are:

Let’s look at a few examples then of how these words could be used in real sentences:

• This is slightly formal but not very formal.
• This is formal and refers less to paying and more to getting these lands.
• Again, this is more about getting than paying.
• This is very informal language.
• This concentrates more on payment than ownership.

Ok, now let’s look more generally at going to the shops or buying things online. For some people this is a hobby, so let’s not think about buying as much as looking around at products.

Some of the words that we say for this are: shop, browse, look for, peruse, and hunt . We may also use more general terms like “go for a wander” or “have a look around” to refer to the fact that we will be walking and looking in shops.

We might say something like:

• I’m going into town later. I have a bit of shopping to do.
• Are you going shopping later? Can you pick up a few things for me?
• Don’t worry. I won’t spend too much. I’m just having a browse . (OR I’m just browsing .)
• I’m going into town to look for some new jeans.
• I love to peruse the bookshops.
• We were in town all weekend, hunting for bargains.

Note: the word “peruse” is uncommon and quite difficult to use correctly. I would not recommend it for IELTS unless you are really confident in its use.

Finally, we also use the term window shopping , but it’s not very frequently used. It means to look in the windows of shops without the intention of actually buying anything. Many people enjoyed doing this until the advent of the internet, and now it seems to have gotten less popular.

IELTS Speaking Questions: Shopping

In this section, I am going to show you some common IELTS speaking questions about the topic of shopping. I will also give you a few sample answers to these questions, so that you can begin to model your own answers. Feel free to post your ideas in the comment section below. 🙂

In part one of the IELTS speaking test, you will be given normal, everyday questions that require short, simple answers. Here are eight examples:

• Do you like shopping? (Why? Why not?)
• Do you often go shopping for personal items?
• Are there many shops near your home? (What kind?)
• Are there many shops where you live?
• Who usually does the shopping in your home?
• How often do you buy something in a shop?
• Do you like shopping on the internet?
• What kinds of things do you buy online?

Let’s look at the sort of answer you could give:

• No. To be honest, I don’t really like shopping. My girlfriend sometimes drags me into town and occasionally I need to buy things myself, but I can’t say that I enjoy it.

This is just three sentences, and the first sentence was just one word. You don’t need to say very much for part one. Try to give a straight answer, then add a little more detail. If you feel the need to talk a lot, just wait until the next parts, when your answers need to be longer.

In part two, you will be given a cue card that contains instructions for what you must talk about. You will need to talk for between 1-2 minutes. Here are two examples:

Describe your favourite shop. You should say: where it is what it sells how often you go there and explain why you think it is a good shop.

Describe a time when you bought something for someone. You should say when this was what is was you bought who you bought it for and say how you felt about buying it for them.

Finally, in the third part of the IELTS speaking test, you must answers more difficult questions. These often include abstract ideas or relate the topic to age/gender/ethics. For example:

• Do you agree or disagree that women spend more time shopping than men?
• How do companies encourage the consumer to spend their money?
• Do people generally prefer to buy products from their own or from other countries?
• Do you think we will stop using paper money in the future?
• Why do you think some people purchase things that they do not need?
• What do you think shops need to do to create a positive shopping experience?

For these questions, you must talk at length. Make sure that your answer is fully developed and try not to repeat yourself too much while answering the question. Here is my sample answer to question #4.

• Yes, of course. In fact, it’s possible to see that certain places are already making the transition. In China, most money is spent by phone now. People just scan a QR code to pay for things online or even in shops. Other countries, like India and Sweden, are moving towards this model, and of course cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are another way that people are moving towards digital payments. I would be surprised if people are still handing coins and notes to each other in ten years.

You can see that this is pretty developed. I gave my answer first, then expanded it, then explained, and gave some examples.

IELTS Listening Practice: Shopping

Sometimes when we are presented with a topic for IELTS, it is actually a mixture of two or three topics. After all, that is just how life works. When we discuss the environment, it usually intersects with politics, society, and other such issues.

I would to show you a TED video and we can do some listening practice for it. This video is from 2015 and it features a woman who used 3D printing to make her own clothes. It’s quite amazing!

You should watch the video once and then do the questions below.

Fill in the Blanks

Read the following paragraph and then fill in the blanks with the missing word(s). You should write no more than THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. This is from the very start of the video. You can find the answers at the bottom of this page.

In the past few months, I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time with only ____1____ of clothes. One day, I was invited to an important event, and I wanted to wear something special and new for it. So I looked through my suitcase and I couldn’t find _____2_____. I was lucky to be at the technology conference on that day, and I had access to 3D printers. So I quickly designed a ____3_____ on my computer, and I loaded the file on the printer. It just printed the pieces overnight. The next morning, I just took all the pieces, _____4_____ together in my hotel room, and this is actually the skirt that I’m wearing right now. So it wasn’t the first time that I _____5_____. For my senior collection at fashion design school, I decided to try and 3D print an entire _____6_____ from my home. The problem was that I barely knew anything about 3D printing, and I had only nine months to figure out how to print five _____7_____ looks.

IELTS Reading Practice

Next, we are going to do some reading practice based upon the IELTS topic of shopping. This passage is taken from a recent article by CNBC, which you can find here . Please read the following passage and then answer the questions below.

FreshDirect co-founder and former CEO Jason Ackerman said customers’ growing interest in online grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic has whet venture capital firms’ appetites. In an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Alley,” he said the surge of online grocery shopping has inspired more investors to look closely at the sector. “I’m seeing more deals in online grocery … than I’ve ever seen before,” he said. In the U.S., customers have been slow to adopt online grocery shopping. Only 3% or 4% of grocery spending in the U.S. was online before the coronavirus outbreak. During the pandemic, however, online grocery shopping has quickly gained popularity as people look for ways to avoid the grocery store. Grocers and delivery services, such as Instacart and FreshDirect, have struggled to ramp up to meet that sudden increase in demand. Ackerman said the challenges have underscored the need for more investments in infrastructure to speed up order fulfillment, lower costs and improve the experience for customers. He said some manufacturers are limiting production to popular items and grocers are slimming down their selection of online offerings to have fewer out-of-stock items and substitutions.

True, False, or Not Given?

Read the following statements and decide whether they are TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN. (The answers are at the bottom of the page.)

• Mr. Ackerman thinks that venture capitalists are excited due to the rise in online shopping.
• A record number of investors is now looking at online retail.
• Online grocer retailers have easily managed to keep up with orders.
• Some retailers have reduced the number of products they sell online.

Finally… IELTS Writing: Shopping

Last of all, we can take a look at IELTS writing and how the topic of shopping might impact it. There are hundreds of questions about shopping that could appear, but let’s pick one as an example and explore what you would need to do.

Here is an example question:

Buying things on the internet, such as books, air tickets and groceries, is becoming more and more popular. Do the advantages of shopping in this way outweigh the disadvantages?

So here we have an advantages and disadvantages question. You can learn all about this question type here , but for now let’s just say that you need to discuss the two sides (advantages/disadvantages) and then say whether or not one outweighs the other.

We need to brainstorm first, which means coming up with pros and cons to the situation:

Obviously, there are many more ideas that could be included. You should think of the best ones, then narrow it down to just one or two ideas. Describe these in some coherent paragraphs and then offer a smart conclusion.

Sample Band 9 Answer

Here is my sample answer to the above question:

In the twenty-first century, an unprecedented level of convenience has descended upon the lives of people in the developed world. It is now easy to order food or shop over the internet at the click of a button. This has brought numerous advantages and a few disadvantages, too. Buying things online has been a huge boon for the average person. Without overhead costs to pay, companies can afford to sell things for extraordinarily cheap prices, and they are all competing with one another for customers, giving the average person an incredible range of bargains. This applies to buying almost anything, from food to clothes to cars. Obviously, this is a tremendous advantage that has shaped the way we live. It is also good for businesses because small companies can now compete, to some extent, with major retailers. However, there are disadvantages and these primarily affect the businesses. First and foremost, the rise of internet shopping has consolidated huge power in the hands of companies like Amazon, who were the first to really take advantage of the situation. As a result, high street shops have been closing at an alarming rate. With rent to pay, they simply cannot compete with online stores. This also affects customers to some degree because those who don’t want to shop online now have to walk through deserted city centres and find that their favourite shops are now closed. Soon, it seems, shopping online will be the only way to purchase things. In conclusion, shopping online has greatly changed our society, and it has done so in both positive and negative ways, and it is hard to say whether one outweighs the other. If you are a customer, certainly the positives seem greater, but for business owners the negatives are definitely more severe.

My structure here was quite simple:

• Introduction (hint at balance)
• Advantages (price)
• Disadvantages (monopolies)
• Conclusion (balanced overall but more advantages for individuals and more negatives for businesses)

Note that I avoided saying too much for the advantages. I could have written many paragraphs about convenience and speed etc., but honestly it is better to say just one or two things and give more development. This allows you to show off your skills for Coherence and Cohesion .

• one suitcase
• anything to wear
• assembled them
• printed clothes
• fashion collection
• fashionable
•  NOT GIVEN (It said “more” investors were inspired. We don’t know if this is a record or not.)
• FALSE (They have “struggled.”)

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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1. Do you enjoy shopping?

I do. It’s not that I’m obsessed with fashion or something. I enjoy the activity itself. You know. I like wandering around shopping malls, trying on clothes that I normally wouldn’t wear, and laughing with my friends because of the stupid look I’ve created. I also like shopping for groceries. Whenever I walk into a grocery store, it’s the instant feeling of freshness that always excites me. Of course. I like to go shopping with my friends. Sometimes, I don’t buy anything and just go round and round shopping malls.

2. What do you shop for?

Most of the time, I buy clothes. I get bored easily so I always want to see a new me every day. That’s why I buy a lot of clothes so I never have to wear the same outfit for a whole month. Bad habit I know.

3. How often do you go shopping?

Almost every weekend. But usually, I don’t plan ahead. I’m a very spontaneous person and my shopping habit reflects that perfectly. There are so many times when I just walked past a nice dress in a store and decided that I had to have it so I bought it without a second thought.

4. Where do you usually shop?

I don’t have any certain place to shop at. Well, I did when I was in the U.S. I always went to Abercrombie’s and Hollister’s to shop for clothes. Their clothes are high quality and look super chic. Just what I like. But there are no retail stores here in Vietnam though.

5. Do you like online shopping?

Yes, I’m a fan. For somebody that doesn’t know how to drive like me, online shopping is wonderful. It’s so convenient because I can lie on my bed and shop with my phone. A lot of retailers now have the 2-day or even 2-hour delivery option, which saves me so much time and is just awesome.

6. What sites do you shop on?

I usually shop on websites like tiki and lazada. Some foreign companies have jumped into our market as well, like Lazada and Shopee. Those are the sites I usually shop on. I actually do Amazon too. For Amazon, most of the time, I just transfer money to my friends in the U.S to purchase what I want for me because I don’t want to spend extra for shipping.

7. What are some problems of shopping online?

First, it’s false advertisement. I bought a dress online and on delivery, it looked completely different from the photo posted on the website. It was such a disturbing experience. But that was a few years ago when there were not a lot of online retailers competing with each other. Now that there are a bunch of them, it’s very easy to find trustworthy ones. Another concern is information security. You can be a victim of identity theft or risk compromising your credit card.

8.What kinds of things do people in your country often buy from online shops?

Well, since the booming of online shopping, literally everyone in my country takes part in e-commerce both as sellers and customers. As you can probably guess, there are a variety of products sold on online platforms, ranging from food, clothes, cosmetics to household appliances. As far as I know, food and clothes rank the highest among the most popular goods on these platforms.

9. Why has online shopping become so popular in many countries?

As far as I know, online shopping made a name for itself quite a while ago, but in the past 3 years, thanks to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce finally reached its peak. I believe that people go crazy for online shopping for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is undeniable that online shopping is really convenient and easy to use, especially for the elderly. Secondly, online platforms often offer customers big discounts during the month, which sounds really promising and appealing, as they could get what they need at a seemingly lower price in comparison with those in physical stores.

10. What are some possible disadvantages of buying things from online shops?

To be honest, although e-commerce is said to pose a threat to other forms of businesses, it goes without saying that online shopping still has numerous drawbacks that are somehow barriers to the prosperous growth of it. First and foremost, people could be scammed easily by irresponsible retailers, causing anger and discomfort to customers. Moreover, delay in delivery is also a common disadvantage for those who enjoy going shopping online, as the package may take longer to arrive than expected by just going to the store or it could get lost after being shipped.

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When you get your IELTS test results you will be given an overall test score of between 0 and 9 on the IELTS scale. You will also get a score for each of the four sections of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The IELTS scale helps organisations understand your level of English.

IELTS Band Score:

9 Skill Level: Expert

• The test taker has fully operational command of the language.
• Their use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and shows complete understanding.

8 Skill Level: Very good

• The test taker has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage.
• They may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. They handle complex and detailed argumentation well.

7 Skill Level: Good

• The test taker has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some situations.
• They generally handle complex language well and understand detailed reasoning.

6 Skill Level: Competent

• The test taker has an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings.
• They can use and understand reasonably complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

5 Skill Level: Modest

• The test taker has a partial command of the language and copes with overall meaning in most situations, although they are likely to make many mistakes.
• They should be able to handle basic communication in their own field.

4 Skill Level: Limited

• The test taker's basic competence is limited to familiar situations.
• They frequently show problems in understanding and expression.

3 Skill Level: Extremely limited

• The test taker conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations.
• There are frequent breakdowns in communication.

2 Skill Level: Intermittent

• The test taker has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.

1 Skill Level: Non-user

• The test taker has no ability to use the language except a few isolated words.

0 Skill Level: Did not attempt the test

• The test taker did not answer the questions.

Calculating your overall score

For each section of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking – you will be awarded a score on the IELTS scale. Your overall score is the average of your section scores, rounded to the closest half-point on the scale.

How long is my IELTS score valid?

We recommend that IELTS test results are considered valid for two years after a test has been taken. This is based on research into second-language loss. Organisations that accept IELTS can choose to accept results for a longer period, so you should check with them directly.

What score do I need for UKVI visa applications?

Find out what CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) level you need for UKVI and the IELTS band score equivalent .

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