Prompt
Two-part – Consumer choices
Many people buy goods that they do not really need. Why do people do this, and what can be done to encourage more responsible spending?
Band 9 sample answer
Band 9 sample answer
Sentence-by-sentence analysis
Anatomy of a Band 9 Essay
Read the model answer normally, or switch on the examiner breakdown to see how each sentence contributes to the response.
Analysed against the four IELTS Writing assessment criteria. Each note explains how this specific sentence supports the essay.
Paragraph 1: Introduction — characterises unnecessary consumption and previews the response
Many consumers routinely purchase items that add little value to their lives. This pattern is driven by predictable psychological and social forces, and it can be curbed through a combination of regulation, education and small changes to how spending decisions are made.
“Add little value to their lives” paraphrases unnecessary purchasing in a natural, evaluative way without overstating that every non-essential purchase is completely useless.
The thesis answers both questions: it identifies broad psychological/social causes and previews regulation, education and behavioural friction as the three response categories.
Paragraph 2: Body 1 — explains emotional, social and financial mechanisms behind unnecessary spending
A primary cause is emotional spending. Shopping can temporarily ease stress, boredom or insecurity, and the novelty of a new product provides a short-lived reward. Another powerful influence is social comparison. Advertising and social media create the impression that frequent upgrading—of phones, clothes or home décor—is normal, so people buy to signal status or to avoid feeling left behind. In addition, cashless payments and “buy now, pay later” credit reduce the pain of paying, separating the pleasure of consumption from the immediate cost and making discretionary purchases feel harmless.
The paragraph begins with a clearly labelled psychological cause, providing an organising point for the explanation that follows.
The sentence explains the mechanism behind emotional spending: buying provides immediate emotional relief and novelty even when the product itself is not needed.
The transition introduces a distinct social cause, moving the analysis beyond private emotion to pressure created by observing other people’s consumption.
The dash inserts concrete examples without interrupting the causal structure, which links perceived social norms to status-signalling and fear of falling behind.
“Reduce the pain of paying” captures a specific behavioural-finance mechanism: payment becomes less psychologically salient when enjoyment occurs before the full financial consequence is felt.
Paragraph 3: Body 2 — proposes regulatory, educational and behavioural measures for more responsible spending
More responsible spending is achievable if incentives and information improve. Governments can tighten rules on consumer credit and require clearer disclosure of the true cost of instalments, fees and interest, while also limiting manipulative “dark patterns” such as misleading countdown timers. Schools should teach practical financial literacy: budgeting, recognising marketing tactics, and distinguishing needs from wants. Employers and banks can support this with default tools such as spending alerts and automatic transfers into savings. On a personal level, simple “friction” strategies are effective, including a 24-hour waiting rule, shopping lists, and deleting stored card details to reduce impulsive checkouts.
The topic sentence establishes the paragraph’s principle: consumers need both better decision-making information and an environment that does not encourage impulsive borrowing or purchasing.
The regulatory measures directly target mechanisms identified earlier: easy credit obscures cost, while manipulative interfaces create artificial urgency around purchases.
The colon turns the broad idea of “financial literacy” into three practical competencies that relate specifically to the causes of unnecessary spending discussed in the essay.
“This” links back to responsible financial behaviour, while default tools extend the solution from education into everyday financial systems.
The response finally moves to individual behaviour, proposing deliberate obstacles that directly counter the earlier problem of low-friction cashless and online purchasing.
Paragraph 4: Conclusion — synthesises the principal causes and corresponding solutions
Overall, unnecessary buying stems from emotional impulses, social pressure and low-friction credit. Coordinated action—smarter regulation, better education and practical decision aids—can help consumers spend more deliberately and sustainably.
The conclusion accurately condenses the body’s three causal mechanisms without introducing a new explanation.
The three-part final synthesis mirrors the solution paragraph and reinforces that responsible spending requires intervention at policy, educational and individual decision-making levels.
Verified word count: 261
Analysis by IELTS Master editorial review. How this analysis is created and reviewed
Useful vocabulary and phrases
emotional spending
Names a key cause precisely and academically.
Emotional spending may provide short-term comfort but often causes longer-term regret.
social comparison
Explains modern consumer pressure clearly.
Social comparison on social media can make constant upgrading seem necessary.
the pain of paying
Shows sophisticated behavioural-economics framing.
Cashless payments reduce the pain of paying, which can increase impulse purchases.
buy now, pay later (BNPL)
Highly relevant contemporary example.
BNPL options can encourage people to buy items they would avoid if paying upfront.
financial literacy
Directly links to an actionable solution area.
Teaching financial literacy can help teenagers distinguish needs from wants.
dark patterns
Targets a specific mechanism behind unnecessary buying.
Regulators could restrict dark patterns such as forced urgency and confusing opt-outs.
create friction
Turns advice into a practical behavioural strategy.
A 24-hour waiting rule creates friction before buying non-essentials.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Explaining causes without giving equally developed solutions (or vice versa).
- Giving vague solutions (e.g., “people should spend wisely”) without clear mechanisms or examples.
- Overgeneralising or moralising instead of analysing drivers like advertising, credit and social media.
- Using informal language or sarcasm that undermines an academic tone.
- Listing solutions without grouping them logically (policy, education, individual habits).
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