Culture & SocietyAgree / DisagreeIntermediateHigh Frequency

IELTS Essay: People today generally have better lives than people in the past did. To what...

Prompt

People today generally have better lives than people in the past did. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

#progress and wellbeing#living standards#happiness and fulfillment#historical comparison#modernity

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Band 7 → 9 — Band 7 argues people have better material conditions or longer lives; Band 9 argues that while longevity and material access improved, psychological stress, inequality perception, and environmental costs complicate the claim, with benefits unevenly distributed.

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Key concepts in this essay

material vs. nonmaterial wellbeing (health, security, meaning, relationships)
inequality and relative deprivation
mental health and stress in modern life
environmental and sustainability costs
opportunity and freedom expansion

Pitfalls the model essay avoids

Measuring 'better' only by material goods (appliances, technology) while ignoring stress, inequality, environmental cost
Romanticizing the past without acknowledging disease, mortality, and lack of opportunity
Failing to specify which populations or regions are actually living better (uneven development)

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