In many countries people now do most of their shopping online rather than in physical shops.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
In many countries people now do most of their shopping online rather than in physical shops.
Is this a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
This is an opinion question wearing a different costume. "Is this a positive or negative development?" requires a verdict, and the most common way to lose marks is to write a balanced essay that never delivers one. You may say it is both, but only if you state which side outweighs the other. Note also that the statement is about a shift in <em>where</em> people shop, not about whether shopping is good — the essay must be about the consequences of the shift.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase the shift, then give the verdict: largely positive, with one serious qualification about what is lost locally.
Body 1 — Why positive — choice, price and access, with the strongest case being access for people the high street never served well.
Body 2 — The real cost — not shop closures in themselves but the loss of the local economic and social function they performed.
Conclusion — Net positive, but the losses fall unevenly and that is a policy problem rather than a reason to reverse the trend.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
324 words
In numerous countries, consumers now purchase the vast majority of their goods online rather than visiting physical shops in person. I am convinced that this shift constitutes a largely positive development, provided that governments take measures to help traditional retailers adapt to the changing marketplace, especially as high streets continue to lose footfall.
To begin, online shopping offers a level of convenience and choice that physical shops simply cannot match. To clarify, consumers can compare prices across multiple retailers within minutes, read authentic reviews left by previous buyers, and have their purchases delivered directly to their doorstep, eliminating the need to travel or navigate crowded stores during limited opening hours. Moreover, this convenience proves particularly valuable for individuals with restricted mobility or demanding work schedules, who would otherwise struggle to shop during conventional business hours. In addition, round-the-clock availability further enhances this convenience for time-pressed consumers. Such accessibility has effectively democratised consumption, granting rural residents the same purchasing options once available only to those living in major cities.
However, this trend also carries significant drawbacks, chiefly for small, local retailers unable to compete with the scale and pricing power of major online platforms. This is attributable to the fact that large e-commerce companies benefit from lower overhead costs and bulk purchasing discounts, enabling them to undercut local shops burdened with rent and staff wages. Consequently, many town centres have witnessed a steady decline in independent retailers, resulting in vacant storefronts and diminished community interaction, as fewer residents visit high streets in person, weakening the social fabric that physical shopping districts once provided. Furthermore, the resulting loss of foot traffic can also compromise public safety in once-bustling shopping streets.
To conclude, although the shift toward online shopping brings considerable convenience and choice to consumers, I believe its overall impact remains positive only if authorities take active steps, such as reduced business rates for local shops, to help traditional retailers survive alongside their digital competitors.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a positive or negative development question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Paraphrase the shift to online shopping and state the position that it is largely positive if traditional retailers are helped to adapt.
Body 1: Argue that online shopping offers unmatched convenience, price comparison and accessibility, especially for people with limited mobility or busy schedules.
Body 2: Argue that the trend seriously harms small local retailers who cannot match online platforms' pricing power, leading to vacant storefronts and weaker high streets.
Conclusion: Restate that online shopping remains a positive trend overall only if authorities actively support struggling local shops.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
democratised
made accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few
such accessibility has effectively democratised consumption, granting rural residents the same purchasing options
overhead costs
the ongoing expenses of running a business, such as rent and utilities
large e-commerce companies benefit from lower overhead costs and bulk purchasing discounts
undercut
to offer lower prices than a competitor
enabling them to undercut local shops burdened with rent and staff wages
pricing power
the ability of a business to set prices, often due to its size or dominance
small, local retailers unable to compete with the scale and pricing power of major online platforms
vacant storefronts
empty shop premises left unrented
many town centres have witnessed a steady decline in independent retailers, resulting in vacant storefronts
diminished
made smaller or weaker
resulting in vacant storefronts and diminished community interaction
round-the-clock
available at all hours, day and night
round-the-clock availability further enhances this convenience for time-pressed consumers
footfall
the number of people visiting a place, especially shops
governments take measures to help traditional retailers adapt to the changing marketplace, especially as high streets continue to lose footfall
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
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Common questions
Can I say the development is both positive and negative?
Only if you say which side outweighs the other. "Is this positive or negative?" asks for a verdict, and an essay that presents both sides evenly and never decides cannot score above Band 6 for Task Response, however good the English is. The phrase to reach for is "on balance" — then commit.
Is this the same as an advantages and disadvantages question?
No, and confusing them is costly. Advantages/disadvantages asks you to outline both; positive/negative asks you to evaluate. You can use similar content, but this question type must end with a judgement, and the judgement should be visible in the introduction as well as the conclusion.
Should I write about my own country?
Only where it genuinely illustrates the point, and explain it if you do. A named place with no explanation adds nothing. A described situation — a small town losing its shops, and what happened next — supports the argument whether or not the examiner knows the place.
Is it acceptable to concede that the other side has a real point?
It is one of the clearest markers of Band 7 and above. The Band 8.5 model puts the objection more strongly than its opponents usually do, then answers it. What you must not do is concede and then leave the concession standing — every point you grant needs a reply.
