In many countries, a small number of people earn extremely high salaries. Some people believe that this is good for the country, but others think that government should not allow salaries above certain level.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. In many countries, a small number of people earn extremely high salaries. Some people believe that this is good for the country, but others think that government should not allow salaries above certain level.

Extremely High Salaries Limit Government Control - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Discuss the view and give your opinion.

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 6 ยท 278 words.

Some people believe that governments should limit how much people can earn. I partly agree with this view because although imposing limits on extremely high salaries may reduce income inequality and improve living standards, people should be rewarded for their hard work, and such limits can also reduce motivation and innovation.

On the one hand, limiting extremely high salaries can help reduce income inequality. This is because when a small proportion of people control a large share of a country's wealth, low-income families may struggle to afford essential services such as healthcare and education. For example, if governments impose higher taxes on people with extremely high incomes, the money collected could be used to provide free education and healthcare for low-income families. As a result, these families would have better opportunities to improve their living standards.

On the other hand, these limits may reduce motivation and innovation. This is because people who develop innovative products or take financial risks may feel that their efforts are not sufficiently rewarded. For instance, people may be less willing to start or expand their businesses if they do not earn enough money to meet their financial needs. As a result, this can directly affect innovation and business development in the country. It may also cause businesspeople to become discouraged or even leave jobs they love. Therefore, governments should reward people for their hard work.

In conclusion, although limiting extremely high salaries may reduce inequality in society and improve living standards, this could lead to a decline in innovation and business development. I believe that governments should focus on fair taxation rather than imposing a strict limit on how much people can earn.

Examiner feedback

The essay presents a clear structure and relevant arguments on both sides, and its grammar is accurate and varied. Band 7 would require more precise, specific examples, a position that stays consistent from introduction to conclusion, and more sophisticated vocabulary and cohesion, which would give the argument greater depth.

Task Response - 6

- The essay addresses both views and states a position in the introduction ('partly agree'), but the conclusion leans toward opposing strict limits, so the stance is only partly consistent. - Ideas are relevant and reasonably developed (taxation funding services, reduced entrepreneurial motivation), but examples are generic and hypothetical rather than specific. - The body ends with an underdeveloped claim ('Therefore, governments should reward people for their hard work') that does not follow clearly from the preceding point.

Coherence & Cohesion - 6

- Four clear paragraphs with a logical sequence: introduction, two contrasting body paragraphs, conclusion. - Cohesive devices ('On the one hand', 'On the other hand', 'For example', 'As a result', 'Therefore') are used appropriately, but they are somewhat formulaic, and 'This is because' appears twice in close succession. - Referencing is generally clear ('these limits', 'these families'), though the progression between the two body paragraphs could be signposted more effectively.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Vocabulary is adequate and topic-appropriate ('income inequality', 'essential services', 'financial risks', 'living standards'), with some less common items. - The word family 'limit/limiting/limits' is repeated frequently, and 'people' and 'businesspeople' are overused where more precise terms would add variety. - Collocations are mostly natural, but phrases such as 'leave jobs they love' and 'rewarded for their hard work' are somewhat generic.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A good range of complex structures is used, including conditionals, concessive clauses ('although...'), and relative clauses ('people who develop innovative products...'). - Most sentences are error-free, and no errors impede communication. - Punctuation is generally controlled, with correct comma use after introductory clauses and linking phrases.

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