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

It is undeniable that an increasing number of individuals are choosing to undergo cosmetic procedures to improve their appearance. While there are certain factors that may account for this growing trend, I firmly believe that this is an overwhelmingly detrimental development when pursued solely for aesthetic purposes. One of the primary reasons behind this surge is pressure to conform to an idealised appearance. One…

Read full answer & analysis →

AI-completed learning example

340 words · Illustrative target band

In contemporary society, advancements in infrastructure and technology have contributed to the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery, as individuals increasingly seek to enhance their appearance through various aesthetic medical procedures. This essay aims to explore the multifaceted reasons behind this growing trend while assessing whether it constitutes a positive or negative development for society at large. One …

Read full answer & analysis →

AI-completed learning example

348 words · Illustrative target band

In this day and age, with advancements in infrastructure and technology, cosmetic surgery has become increasingly popular as people seek to enhance and alter their beauty through aesthetic medical treatments. This essay will explore both perspectives on this trend, offering a detailed explanation of its rise and assessing whether it benefits or harms societal development. The motives and consequences need to be consi…

Read full answer & analysis →