This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of supermarkets.
IELTS Essay: Supermarkets
Many supermarkets are selling more and more products that are imported from other countries instead of selling food that is locally sourced.
What are the reasons for this?
Is this a positive or negative development?
Some feel that supermarkets today sell too many imported products compared to the number of locally produced ones. In my opinion, this is a result of changes in consumer tastes and it is a negative overall.
The main cause behind this phenomenon is an exponential shift among consumers. Over the last century advances in sea and air transport have allowed supermarkets to import products from all over the world. As a result, an individual living in New England can try exotic fruits like mangos and pomegranates that cannot normally be grown in a four season climate. Once a person tries a new food and enjoys it, they are more likely to sample other new fruits and vegetables. They then recommend those foods to others and shifts in taste quickly become mainstream and irreversible.
This change is negative as it hurts local farmers and the environment. Local producers must now compete with large companies that source products such as bananas at lower prices and undercut farmers. Consumers naturally buy the cheaper products and the result is that local farmers often cannot survive without government subsidies or must close their operations. Moreover, this development leads to greater consumption of fossil fuels. Imported products allow consumers to shop out of season, for example eating asparagus year round, but this requires shipping products globally and increasing the burning of fossil fuels involved in transportation.
In conclusion, though supermarkets now enable shoppers to have more varied palates, this poses tremendous risks for local producers and the environment. Therefore, tariffs on imports should be high.
Analysis
1. Some feel that supermarkets today sell too many imported products compared to the number of locally produced ones. 2. In my opinion, this is a result of changes in consumer tastes and it is a negative overall.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. The main cause behind this phenomenon is an exponential shift among consumers. 2. Over the last century advances in sea and air transport have allowed supermarkets to import products from all over the world. 3. As a result, an individual living in New England can try exotic fruits like mangos and pomegranates that cannot normally be grown in a four season climate. 4. Once a person tries a new food and enjoys it, they are more likely to sample other new fruits and vegetables. 5. They then recommend those foods to others and shifts in taste quickly become mainstream and irreversible.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
- Finish development.
1. This change is negative as it hurts local farmers and the environment. 2. Local producers must now compete with large companies that source products such as bananas at lower prices and undercut farmers. 3. Consumers naturally buy the cheaper products and the result is that local farmers often cannot survive without government subsidies or must close their operations. 4. Moreover, this development leads to greater consumption of fossil fuels. 5. Imported products allow consumers to shop out of season, for example eating asparagus year round, but this requires shipping products globally and increasing the burning of fossil fuels involved in transportation.
- Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
- Explain your new main idea.
- Include specific details and examples.
- Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
- Develop the example fully.
1. In conclusion, though supermarkets now enable shoppers to have more varied palates, this poses tremendous risks for local producers and the environment. 2. Therefore, tariffs on imports should be high.
- Summarise your main ideas.
- Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
Some feel that supermarkets today sell too many imported products compared to the number of locally produced ones. In my opinion, this is a result of changes in consumer tastes and it is a negative overall.
The main cause behind this phenomenon is an exponential shift among consumers. Over the last century advances in sea and air transport have allowed supermarkets to import products from all over the world. As a result, an individual living in New England can try exotic fruits like mangos and pomegranates that cannot normally be grown in a four season climate. Once a person tries a new food and enjoys it, they are more likely to sample other new fruits and vegetables. They then recommend those foods to others and shifts in taste quickly become mainstream and irreversible.
This change is negative as it hurts local farmers and the environment. Local producers must now compete with large companies that source products such as bananas at lower prices and undercut farmers. Consumers naturally buy the cheaper products and the result is that local farmers often cannot survive without government subsidies or must close their operations. Moreover, this development leads to greater consumption of fossil fuels. Imported products allow consumers to shop out of season, for example eating asparagus year round, but this requires shipping products globally and increasing the burning of fossil fuels involved in transportation.
In conclusion, though supermarkets now enable shoppers to have more varied palates, this poses tremendous risks for local producers and the environment. Therefore, tariffs on imports should be high.
Answers
supermarkets places where food is sold
imported products foods from other countries
compared to in contrast to
locally produced ones ones made nearby
result consequence
consumer tastes what people like to eat
negative overall bad in general
main cause primary source
phenomenon development
exponential shift getting bigger and bigger change
consumers people who buy things
over the last century the last 100 years
advances new developments
sea and air transport boats and planes
import products from all over the world bring in foods from other countries
as a result the consequence is that
New England New York and nearby states
try exotic fruits eat foods from other countries
normally be grown usually can be produced
four season climate spring, summer, fall, and winter
sample eat
recommend tell others to have
mainstream popular
irreversible can’t be changed
hurts local farmers not good for growers in that country
compete fight with, sell against
source origin
undercut farmers offer lower prices than farmers
naturally of course
survive live
government subsidies state money
close their operations go out of business
development change
greater consumption of fossil fuels using more oil and gas
out of season not grown now
year round the whole year
requires shipping products globally must send out products around the world
burning of fossil fuels involved in transportation using oil and gas to send products
enable allow for
varied palates different tastes
poses tremendous risks cause big problems
tariffs taxes
Pronunciation
ˈsjuːpəˌmɑːkɪts
ɪmˈpɔːtɪd ˈprɒdʌkts
kəmˈpeəd tuː
ˈləʊkəli prəˈdjuːst wʌnz
rɪˈzʌlt
kənˈsjuːmə teɪsts
ˈnɛgətɪv ˈəʊvərɔːl
meɪn kɔːz
fɪˈnɒmɪnən
ˌɛkspəˈnɛnʃ(ə)l ʃɪft
kənˈsjuːməz
ˈəʊvə ðə lɑːst ˈsɛnʧʊri
ədˈvɑːnsɪz
siː ænd eə ˈtrænspɔːt
ˈɪmpɔːt ˈprɒdʌkts frɒm ɔːl ˈəʊvə ðə wɜːld
æz ə rɪˈzʌlt
njuː ˈɪŋglənd
traɪ ɪgˈzɒtɪk fruːts
ˈnɔːməli biː grəʊn
fɔː ˈsiːzn ˈklaɪmɪt
ˈsɑːmpl
ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd
ˈmeɪnstriːm
ˌɪrɪˈvɜːsəbl
hɜːts ˈləʊkəl ˈfɑːməz
kəmˈpiːt
sɔːs
ˈʌndəkʌt ˈfɑːməz
ˈnæʧrəli
səˈvaɪv
ˈgʌvnmənt ˈsʌbsɪdiz
kləʊs ðeər ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənz
dɪˈvɛləpmənt
ˈgreɪtə kənˈsʌm(p)ʃən ɒv ˈfɒsl fjʊəlz
aʊt ɒv ˈsiːzn
jɪə raʊnd
rɪˈkwaɪəz ˈʃɪpɪŋ ˈprɒdʌkts ˈgləʊbəli
ˈbɜːnɪŋ ɒv ˈfɒsl fjʊəlz ɪnˈvɒlvd ɪn ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃən
ɪˈneɪbl
ˈveərɪd ˈpælɪts
ˈpəʊzɪz trɪˈmɛndəs rɪsks
ˈtærɪfs
Vocabulary Practice
Some feel that s______________s today sell too many i__________________s c_____________o the number of l_________________s. In my opinion, this is a r______t of changes in c________________s and it is a n_________________l.
The m_____________e behind this p________________n is an e__________________t among c_____________s. O___________________________y a__________s in s____________________t have allowed supermarkets to i__________________________d. A__________t, an individual living in N__________d can t_____________s like mangos and pomegranates that cannot n______________n in a f______________e. Once a person tries a new food and enjoys it, they are more likely to s_________e other new fruits and vegetables. They then r_____________d those foods to others and shifts in taste quickly become m_________m and i____________e.
This change is negative as it h_______________s and the environment. Local producers must now c__________e with large companies that s______e products such as bananas at lower prices and u________________s. Consumers n__________y buy the cheaper products and the result is that local farmers often cannot s_________e without g________________s or must c__________________s. Moreover, this d________________t leads to g_______________________________s. Imported products allow consumers to shop o_______________n, for example eating asparagus y_____________d, but this r______________________y and increasing the b_____________________________________________n.
In conclusion, though supermarkets now e_______e shoppers to have more v___________s, this p_______________________s for local producers and the environment. Therefore, t______s on imports should be high.
Listening Practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOpUeh1QVXo
Reading Practice
Speaking Practice
Shopping
- What do you usually shop for?
- Do you often go to malls?
- Do you shop online a lot?
- How common are shopping centers in your country?
Writing Practice
Many large supermarkets are being built today while the number of small shops is decreasing.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Hi there.
Many supermarkets are selling more and more products that are imported from other countries instead of selling food that is locally sourced.
What are the reasons for this?
Is this a positive or negative development?
Pls change thus into this.
Thanks for noticing the typo Hojat – fixed it!
My pleasure, Dave. Keep up the good work !
In this modern era, the amount of imported products that are provided by supermarkets is high compared to the local foods. Being cheaper and high demand of costumer for these products can be reasons for this Issue.
There are several reasons for this problem. The cheap cost of imported products
compared to buying the same products from local Companies may be the primary reason behind this phenomenon. Some vegetables and fruits need an especial climate condition, which is not available in every country, for example, Banana and Avocado require a specific condition to grow. If a farmer decided to grow these fruits he should provide the needed situation artificially like greenhouse, which cost a great amount of money. Hence these products will be Received by the owner of supermarkets in a high price. So, owners prefer to buy imported vegetables and fruits in a lower price. Moreover, the popularity of these goods may be another reason for this Issue. Human nature tends to seek diversity in every aspect of life, even in eating foods. When people are mundane of their local goods and fruits. They incline to consume products, which are not familiar to them and this unfamiliarity makes these products more compelling and appealing. Then these foreign products will be in high demand, so supermarkets in order to earn more profit prefer to buy imported products for their consumers.
I strongly agree this phenomenon should be considered a negative trend as it has devastating effects on environment and local farmers . Importing products can be carried out by various means like sea transportation, air or by car. These transportation forms create greater harm from carbon emissions and can pose a threat to the environment, such as global warming. Besides, local farmers may stop producing food and vegetables because they now must compete with large companies that produce their products at a lower price. people normally intend to buy a cheaper product hence local farmers may cannot survive in this situation so the agriculture industry of country may will be in danger.
In conclusion, supermarkets are providing more and more imported products like vegetables and fruit I think the price and high demands of customers are causes behind this Issue. I strongly agree this is a negative trend due to the negative effects on the environment and local farmers.
Great stuff, Hope!
It is a little on the long side but your ideas and vocabulary are really strong!
Careful with your punctuation.
Keep it up!
Thank you dear Dave. Thanks for your feedback.
Could you please help me with some tips about punctuation.
Sure, try this post, Hope:
https://howtodoielts.com/google-voice-search-ielts-speaking/
In recent times, it has become more common for supermarkets to sell imported goods rather than selling domestically produced food items. There could be several reasons for this phenomenon and I believe that this is a positive development overall.
There are various reasons for markets to sell imported products compared to domestic food items. The main reason is that a country might has no arable fields or suitable weather conditions to produce specific products. For instance, the conditions in Turkey make it impossible to grow pineapple along with other specific food items such as coconut; therefore, it has no choice but to import the goods that they are unable to produce and supply them on their market shelves. Another reason is that it might be cheaper to buy from abroad rather than produce in local fields. There are a number of different costs involved in producing a food item ranging from seeds to packing, and yet it would be logical and convenient to import it at a lower cost. As a result, supermarkets tend to offer customers imported goods.
This is a positive phenomenon both for nations and supermarkets. Regarding nations, it can improve their relations through trade and allow them to make trade easier by dropping the general price level on imported goods and providing some other convenience. In terms of supermarkets, interest towards imported goods may be higher than those of locally produced, and hence they give a price increase on the imported goods in order to make a profit. Consequently, both nations and supermarkets tend to earn a great deal of money as a result of this development.
To conclude, there has been a growth in the number of products bought from other nations to be sold in domestic supermarkets. In my opinion, this is a positive trend both for countries and supermarkets.
Nice work, Melissa!
Really accurate throughout and good complexity.
You might want to add in some more simple sentences like the one at the end of the second paragraph.
Keep working hard!