Task 2 · · 18 samples

An increasing number of people are choosing to have cosmetic surgery in order to improve their appearance. Why do people have operations to change the way they look? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Practise this task →

Plan your answer

Try your own response before reading the samples.

Ideas to explore

  • Explain how cultural or spiritual beliefs, including beliefs about luck, can influence decisions about facial features.
  • Discuss the potential benefits of improved confidence and surgery following an accident or medical condition.
  • Balance those benefits against medical risks and pressure to conform to a narrow beauty ideal.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the trend and state a qualified overall opinion.
  2. Explain key motivations, linking cultural beliefs and social beauty standards to the decision to have surgery.
  3. Present benefits with a personal-confidence example and a medical or reconstructive example.
  4. Discuss risks and social pressure, then conclude by stating the conditions under which the development is positive.
Useful vocabulary & examples
evolving beauty standards
Changing social expectations about what appearance is considered attractive.

Evolving beauty standards can influence how people judge their own appearance.

feel compelled to
Feel strongly pressured or obliged to do something.

Some people feel compelled to change their appearance to meet a narrow ideal.

realistic expectations
Beliefs about likely outcomes that are sensible and achievable.

Patients should have realistic expectations before deciding on cosmetic surgery.

reinforce insecurity
Make a person’s doubts or lack of confidence stronger.

A procedure may reinforce insecurity if it is chosen mainly to satisfy social pressure.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

347 words · Illustrative target band

With the development of modern technology nowadays, it helps to change human lives in different aspects, which includes changing their appearance by doing cosmetic surgery. While some people agree that plastic surgery can bring confidence and happiness to anyone who does it, others disagree that it causes a lot of negative effects and should not be encouraged by pressure to meet an ideal. One reason is that people c…

Read full answer & analysis →

AI-completed learning example

343 words · Illustrative target band

In contemporary society, social media plays a crucial role in people’s lives, shaping their attitudes towards the world, of which beauty standard was affected a lot. As a result, individuals are inclined to have operations to alter their appearance. Overall, the disadvantages of such trend outweigh the advantages. The major reason driving this trend is comparison with idealised images. One reason is that people comp…

Read full answer & analysis →

AI-completed learning example

350 words · Illustrative target band

Nowadays, cosmetic surgery is more popular than before because of development of technology and innovation in surgery. Obviously in my country, Thailand, surgery clinics are a popular business because they appear everywhere in city. In addition, there are several benefits of cosmetic surgery, but it also has disadvantages. In my opinion, cosmetic surgery is a choice that requires careful consideration rather than an …

Read full answer & analysis →