Arts & HeritageAgree / DisagreeIntermediateMedium Frequency

IELTS Essay: Some people believe arts such as painting and music cannot directly improve t...

Prompt

Some people believe arts such as painting and music cannot directly improve the quality of peoples lives so that government money should be spent on other things. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

#government funding#arts spending#public goods#quality of life#resource allocation#intrinsic value

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Band 7 → 9 — Band 7 argues arts do improve quality of life through aesthetic experience and social cohesion, while Band 9 recognizes the deeper challenge: the claim that arts cannot 'directly' improve lives depends on a narrow definition of improvement—a strong Band 9 response reframes the discussion around what public goods society should fund (health, security, art?) and on what grounds.

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Key concepts in this essay

definition of public value and well-being
instrumental vs intrinsic value of arts
role of government in cultural provision
measurable impact vs non-quantifiable benefits

Pitfalls the model essay avoids

Defining impact narrowly as direct economic benefit without considering well-being, social cohesion, or soft power
Failing to question whether 'direct improvement' is the right standard for public funding (basic research also doesn't directly improve lives but has value)
Missing opportunity costs: comparing actual alternatives to arts spending, not just hypothetical spending on unspecified other things

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