Oct 20 IELTS Writing

• IELTS writing, speaking,wordlist
• water wave chapter 7 and part of chapter 8

The efficient functioning of society is based on rules and laws. Society would not function well if individuals were free to do whatever they wanted. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Laws refer to the rules imposed on citizens. In my opinion, a society without laws cannot maintain order although tough laws can be counterproductive in some cases.

A lawless society cannot function well because its economy would be in chaos. Laws dedicate what people should do in public places to make sure personal behaviour does not disrupt the operation of public systems and facilities. For example, motorists and pedestrians should obey traffic regulations to avoid traffic accidents and jams caused by reckless driving. This ensures that commuters can show up for work on time and companies can deliver goods to customers in a timely manner. Businesses can thus operate smoothly and generate revenue, which is essential to a healthy economy. Economic prosperity provides sufficient cash for the government to finance public services, such as law enforcement, fire fighting and water and electricity supplies, without which a society could collapse.

Laws can also uphold some values which are critical to a harmonious society. Driven by self-interest, people sometimes tend to do something that can hurt others, such as frauds and robberies. Laws punish these behaviours and encourage people to bear in mind virtues such as honesty, loyalty and integrity in social lives, professional lives and business settings. Some business laws, for example, impose harsh penalties on some business practices, such as making overstatements on products or selling counterfeit goods, in an attempt to build trust between sellers and consumers. If people trust each other, they can live in harmony and society would not be crippled by misunderstandings and tensions.

On the other hand, laws are sometimes likely to limit freedom and obstruct social progress. Strict laws can suppress creativity and discourage people from expressing their views and developing innovations that can improve the well-being of the public. One example is the censorship law that restricts the freedom of speech. If the press and citizens had no opportunity to voice their concerns, a country could not pinpoint and tackle some problems, such as corruption and bureaucracy. The society could not fulfill the function of improving or even overhauling its system and policies regularly to serve the interests of the public.

In conclusion, it is difficult to keep a society running without laws, although imposing tough laws can sometimes achieve the opposite outcome.