This is an IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essay on the topic of unhealthy foods from the real exam on the topic of unhealthy foods and whether or not governments should tax them.
It’s a very common topic – health and government regulations.
Read it below in case something similar comes up on your test!
Be sure to check out my Patreon exclusive essays as well.
Dave
Be sure to listen to the audio first to test your listening skills before reading my sample answer:
IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Essay: Unhealthy Foods (Real Past IELTS Tests/Exams)
Some think that governments should tax unhealthy foods to encourage people to eat healthier.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Real Past IELTS Tests/Exams
Some think that heavy-handed governmental taxation is the only way to compel healthier eating. In my opinion, while this makes rational sense, its actual effectiveness is questionable.
Those that argue in favour of these taxes can point to a logical chain of suppositions. Though taxes on unhealthy foods are rare, there is the occasional mandated price hike for sugary drinks and fast food, smoking is an instructive corollary. Several decades after research showed that smoking causes cancer, governments were able to push through legislation to tax cigarettes heavily. The result was that those already addicted to smoking continued to smoke but many people did not pick up the habit to begin with. Proponents argue this would also be the case when it comes to foods known to cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Many would eat them despite higher prices but the next generation would become more health conscious and that would further trickle down to their children.
Though the above argument is well reasoned, people will still buy luxuries. There is strong evidence for this dating back centuries. After the war of independence from Britain, the newly formed United States instituted direly needed taxes on luxuries including whiskey and chocolate. The purpose of the taxes was to raise money, not to lower consumption of those products. The unpopular acts were internally vindicated when people continued to buy luxuries along the same growth trend, enabling them to increase the national budget. Even though cutting down on purely pleasurable products makes disinterested sense, people are more swayed by instant gratification than cold calculation.
In conclusion, taxes on unhealthy foods would not be an effective measure against their consumption. Instead, governments should invest more in healthy school lunches and making healthy products more widely available to attack the problem at its root source.
Word Count: 295
Analysis
1. Some think that heavy-handed governmental taxation is the only way to compel healthier eating. 2. In my opinion, while this makes rational sense, its actual effectiveness is questionable.
- Paraphrase the overall topic for the essay.
- Write your opinion clearly.
1. Those that argue in favour of these taxes can point to a logical chain of suppositions. 2. Though taxes on unhealthy foods are rare, there is the occasional mandated price hike for sugary drinks and fast food, smoking is an instructive corollary. 3. Several decades after research showed that smoking causes cancer, governments were able to push through legislation to tax cigarettes heavily. 4. The result was that those already addicted to smoking continued to smoke but many people did not pick up the habit to begin with. 5. Proponents argue this would also be the case when it comes to foods known to cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. 6. Many would eat them despite higher prices but the next generation would become more health conscious and that would further trickle down to their children.
- Write a clear topic sentence with a singly main idea.
- Explain your main idea if you need to.
- Begin to develop it with research/examples/supporting ideas.
- Write about the result if possible.
- Continue developing – notice the specific ailments I mention.
- Your last sentence can relate back to the question and be more general.
1. Though the above argument is well reasoned, people will still buy luxuries. 2. There is strong evidence for this dating back centuries. 3. After the war of independence from Britain, the newly formed United States instituted direly needed taxes on luxuries including whiskey and chocolate. 4. The purpose of the taxes was to raise money, not to lower consumption of those products. 5. The unpopular acts were internally vindicated when people continued to buy luxuries along the same growth trend, enabling them to increase the national budget. 6. Even though cutting down on purely pleasurable products makes disinterested sense, people are more swayed by instant gratification than cold calculation.
- Write another topic sentence with a clear main idea.
- Begin to develop it. Vary long/short sentences in your writing.
- Your examples should be specific so write about the country/example that you know best.
- Continue developing the same example.
- Keep developing it – don’t switch to a new example or write generally.
- Your last sentence can be more general and relate to the overall question.
1. In conclusion, taxes on unhealthy foods would not be an effective measure against their consumption. 2. Instead, governments should invest more in healthy school lunches and making healthy products more widely available to attack the problem at its root source.
- Conclude by repeating your opinion.
- Add in a final thought/extra detail at the end.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Try to figure them out based on the sentences:
Some think that heavy-handed governmental taxation is the only way to compel healthier eating. In my opinion, while this makes rational sense, its actual effectiveness is questionable.
Those that argue in favour of these taxes can point to a logical chain of suppositions. Though taxes on unhealthy foods are rare, there is the occasional mandated price hike for sugary drinks and fast food, smoking is an instructive corollary. Several decades after research showed that smoking causes cancer, governments were able to push through legislation to tax cigarettes heavily. The result was that those already addicted to smoking continued to smoke but many people did not pick up the habit to begin with. Proponents argue this would also be the case when it comes to foods known to cause cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Many would eat them despite higher prices but the next generation would become more health conscious and that would further trickle down to their children.
Though the above argument is well reasoned, people will still buy luxuries. There is strong evidence for this dating back centuries. After the war of independence from Britain, the newly formed United States instituted direly needed taxes on luxuries including whiskey and chocolate. The purpose of the taxes was to raise money, not to lower consumption of those products. The unpopular acts were internally vindicated when people continued to buy luxuries along the same growth trend, enabling them to increase the national budget. Even though cutting down on purely pleasurable products makes disinterested sense, people are more swayed by instant gratification than cold calculation.
In conclusion, taxes on unhealthy foods would not be an effective measure against their consumption. Instead, governments should invest more in healthy school lunches and making healthy products more widely available to attack the problem at its root source.
Answers
heavy-handed strong/over-the-top
compel force
rational sense logical
actual effectiveness whether or not it works
questionable doubtful
argue in favour of support the idea of
point to argue about
logical chain sensible series
suppositions reasons
occasional mandated price hike regulation/tax
instructive corollary useful analogy
push through force
heavily strongly/a lot
addicted can’t stop using
pick up begin
to begin with start
proponents advocates
cardiovascular disease heart attacks
diabetes a disease related to eating too much sugar
cancer a common disease
next generation young people
health conscious caring about what you eat/exercise
further trickle down also contribute to
well reasoned rational
strong evidence good support for
dating back centuries hundreds of years ago
war of independence revolutionary war
newly formed just created
direly urgently
luxuries items you want but don’t need
lower consumption less eating/use
unpopular acts controversial
internally vindicated turned out to be true
growth trend increasing pattern
national budget money for the government to spend
cutting down on reducing
makes disinterested sense logical
swayed influenced
instant gratification pleasure right away
cold calculation rational
effective measure good method
consumption use
more widely available ubiquitous
attack the problem deal with
root source origin/cause
Pronunciation
ˈhɛvɪˈhændɪd
kəmˈpɛl
ˈræʃənl sɛns
ˈækʧʊəl ɪˈfɛktɪvnəs
ˈkwɛsʧənəbl
ˈɑːgjuː ɪn ˈfeɪvər ɒv
pɔɪnt tuː
ˈlɒʤɪkəl ʧeɪn
ˌsʌpəˈzɪʃənz
əˈkeɪʒənl ˈmændeɪtɪd praɪs haɪk
ɪnˈstrʌktɪv kəˈrɒləri
pʊʃ θruː
ˈhɛvɪli
əˈdɪktɪd
pɪk ʌp
tuː bɪˈgɪn wɪð
prəˈpəʊnənts
ˌkɑːdɪəʊˈvæskjʊlə dɪˈziːz
ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz
ˈkænsə
nɛkst ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃən
hɛlθ ˈkɒnʃəs
ˈfɜːðə ˈtrɪkl daʊn
wɛl ˈriːznd
strɒŋ ˈɛvɪdəns
ˈdeɪtɪŋ bæk ˈsɛnʧʊriz
wɔːr ɒv ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns
ˈnjuːli fɔːmd
ˈdaɪəli
ˈlʌkʃəriz
ˈləʊə kənˈsʌm(p)ʃən
ʌnˈpɒpjʊlər ækts
ɪnˈtɜːnəli ˈvɪndɪkeɪtɪd
grəʊθ trɛnd
ˈnæʃənl ˈbʌʤɪt
ˈkʌtɪŋ daʊn ɒn
meɪks dɪsˈɪntrɪstɪd sɛns
sweɪd
ˈɪnstənt ˌgrætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən
kəʊld ˌkælkjʊˈleɪʃən
ɪˈfɛktɪv ˈmɛʒə
kənˈsʌm(p)ʃən
mɔː ˈwaɪdli əˈveɪləbl
əˈtæk ðə ˈprɒbləm
ruːt sɔːs
Listen and repeat:
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
Some think that h_____________ governmental taxation is the only way to c_____________ healthier eating. In my opinion, while this makes r_____________ , its a_____________ is q_____________.
Those that a_____________ these taxes can p_____________ a l_____________ of s_____________. Though taxes on unhealthy foods are rare, there is the o_____________ for sugary drinks and fast food, smoking is an i_____________. Several decades after research showed that smoking causes cancer, governments were able to p_____________ legislation to tax cigarettes h_____________. The result was that those already a_____________ to smoking continued to smoke but many people did not p_____________ the habit t_____________. P_____________ argue this would also be the case when it comes to foods known to cause c_____________, d_____________ and c_____________. Many would eat them despite higher prices but the n_____________ would become more h_____________ and that would f _____________ to their children.
Though the above argument is w_____________, people will still buy luxuries. There is s_____________ for this d_____________. After the w_____________ from Britain, the _____________ United States instituted d_____________ needed taxes on l_____________ including whiskey and chocolate. The purpose of the taxes was to raise money, not to l_____________ of those products. The u_____________ were i_____________ when people continued to buy luxuries along the same g_____________, enabling them to increase the n_____________. Even though c_____________ purely pleasurable products m_____________, people are more s_____________ by i_____________ than c_____________.
In conclusion, taxes on unhealthy foods would not be an e_____________ against their c _____________. Instead, governments should invest more in healthy school lunches and making healthy products m_____________ to a _____________ at its r _____________.
Listen and check:
Listening Practice
Listen to the video below to practice your listening and get some ideas about the topic:
Reading Practice
Read here about the success of junk food taxes in Mexico and Hungary:
https://www.vox.com/2018/1/17/16870014/junk-food-tax
Speaking Practice
Answer the questions below from the real IELTS speaking test related to food:
Coffee
- Do you like drinking coffee or tea?
- How do you like to drink your coffee?
- Is coffee a popular drink in your country at the moment?
- When was the last time you had some coffee or tea?
Taxing unhealthy food is considered solution in order to improve people
s diet. Although taxing policy could help to plunge consumption of fast food, I partially disagree that I can impact competition between restaurants companies.
s outrage. For example at the last survey from CNN turned out that American people wouldn`t like any restriction or taxing at their diet style 68% rate.Undoubtedly, taxing of poor dietary foods can reduce sales at fast food restaurants which are famous widespread across the world, furthermore setback at rivalry with other companies Moreover,the last experiences at other consumption spheres demonstrated taxing was not the best solution, for instance taxing of alcoholic drinks didn't plummet utilization of these products. There could be political costs of introducing a new tax so it can be cause probably people
On the other hand taxing policy could help to reduce consumption of fast food moderately and a fat tax would make people pay the social cost of unhealthy food. Consumption of fatty foods have external costs on society. For example, eating unhealthy foods contributes to the problem of obesity. Obesity is estimated to cost the UK economy around £6.6–7.4 billion a year. The other benefit is about collected taxes can spend for other problems by government. For instance the money raised from ‘fat tax’ could be used to spend treating health costs of obesity
In conclusion, even though taxing policy could help to plunge consumption of fast food, I partially disagree that It can impact competition between restaurants companies and it may not work as thought.
Time:50 minutes Fərid Məmmədov
Words:257 25.12.2020
fine