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Positive or Negative Development Education Task 2

Nowadays people are influenced by fashion, in particular when choosing their clothes and hairstyle. Is this a positive or negative development?

A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan and what this question type is asking you to do.

The question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Nowadays people are influenced by fashion, in particular when choosing their clothes and hairstyle. 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

You are asked whether a development is positive or negative. Treat it as an opinion question with a fixed frame: decide, then justify. Answering "both" is allowed only if you say which side outweighs the other.

Paragraph plan

Introduction — Clear position stating this is a negative development

Body 1 — First argument supporting negative position - financial pressure

Body 2 — Second argument supporting negative position - environmental impact

Conclusion — Restate position and summarize main arguments

Model answer

Model answer

272 words

Fashion influence on clothing and hairstyle choices has become increasingly pervasive in modern society. While some argue this trend promotes creativity and economic growth, I believe it represents a predominantly negative development due to the financial pressure it creates and its contribution to environmental degradation.

The primary concern with fashion influence is the significant financial burden it places on individuals, particularly young people. Many consumers feel compelled to purchase expensive branded clothing and regularly update their wardrobes to keep pace with rapidly changing trends. This pressure is especially problematic for teenagers and young adults who may sacrifice essential expenses or accumulate debt to maintain a fashionable appearance. For instance, many university students spend substantial portions of their limited income on designer items rather than investing in their education or future, creating long-term financial instability.

Furthermore, the constant pursuit of fashion trends generates severe environmental consequences through promoting overconsumption and waste. The fast fashion industry encourages consumers to discard clothing after brief periods of use, leading to massive textile waste in landfills. Additionally, the production of trendy garments often involves environmentally harmful processes, including excessive water usage, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions from global shipping. This cycle of continuous consumption and disposal contradicts growing environmental awareness and sustainable living practices that society desperately needs to adopt.

In conclusion, while fashion influence may offer some benefits such as creative expression, the negative impacts significantly outweigh any advantages. The financial pressure on individuals and the environmental damage caused by overconsumption make this trend ultimately harmful to both people and the planet. Society would benefit from promoting more sustainable and economically responsible approaches to personal style.

Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.

This is a positive or negative development question. The model answer 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.

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