Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 3 Writing Task 2: Tax on Sugary Products
Cambridge IELTS 16 · Test 3 · Academic Writing Task 2Opinion (agree or disagree)Government & law
The question states that many manufactured foods and drinks contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems, and suggests that sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. Candidates must say whether they agree or disagree with raising prices in this way.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. Do you agree or disagree? Write at least 250 words.
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How to read the question
- This is an opinion essay: Do you agree or disagree requires a clear position in the introduction that is maintained throughout and restated in the conclusion.
- The proposal is specific: making sugary products more expensive, usually through a tax. The essay must evaluate this price-based measure, not just discuss whether sugar is unhealthy.
- The first sentence is background, not the debate. You can accept that sugar causes health problems; the real question is whether higher prices are a fair and effective solution.
- The scope is manufactured food and drink products, such as soft drinks, sweets and processed snacks, not natural sugars in fruit.
- A partial position is acceptable, for example agreeing with higher prices but arguing that they work best alongside education and clearer labelling, as long as the overall stance is clear.
- Strong counterarguments include the burden on low-income families and the claim that adults should be free to make their own choices; a high-band answer acknowledges and rebuts at least one of them.
Suggested position
I largely agree that sugary products should be made more expensive, because price is one of the most powerful influences on what people consume, although such a measure works best when combined with education and clearer labelling.
Paragraph plan
- 1
Introduction
Paraphrase the problem of high sugar levels in processed food and drink and the proposal to raise their prices, then state that you largely agree.
- 2
Body paragraph 1: why higher prices would work
Argue that price strongly affects consumption, especially among young people, giving the example of taxes on tobacco and taxes on sugary soft drinks that led manufacturers to reduce sugar content. Add that revenue can fund healthcare or school sport and that society bears the cost of diet-related disease.
- 3
Body paragraph 2: objections and a response
Acknowledge that the measure may hit low-income households hardest and that some see it as limiting personal freedom, then respond that these families also suffer most from obesity and diabetes, and that higher prices should be combined with subsidies for healthy food, education and clear labelling.
- 4
Conclusion
Restate your agreement that sugary products should cost more and that this policy is most effective as part of a broader public health strategy.
Ideas and arguments
- Price affects behaviour: higher prices reduced smoking, and the same principle can reduce consumption of sugary drinks and snacks.
- Taxes on sugary soft drinks in some countries encouraged manufacturers to cut the sugar content of their products to avoid the higher rate.
- Money raised from a sugar tax could be spent on healthcare, school sport or making fresh fruit and vegetables cheaper.
- Diet-related illnesses such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay place a heavy burden on public health systems paid for by everyone.
- Against: such price rises are regressive, taking a larger share of income from poorer families.
- Against: adults should have the freedom to choose what they eat, and the state should not act as a nanny.
- Against: people may simply switch to cheaper sugary products or buy them across the border, so price alone may not change habits.
- Alternative or complementary measures: clear front-of-pack labelling, limits on advertising to children and nutrition education in schools.
Band 8+ model answer
306 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.
A large proportion of processed food and drink now contains high levels of sugar, contributing to problems such as obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. It has been proposed that these products should be made more expensive in order to reduce consumption. I largely agree with this idea, although I believe higher prices will be most effective as part of a wider strategy.
The strongest argument for raising prices is that cost has a powerful influence on what people buy. This has been clearly demonstrated with tobacco, where repeated tax increases have contributed to a steady fall in smoking rates. Young people, who are often the biggest consumers of soft drinks and sweets, are particularly price-sensitive, so a financial deterrent could change their habits before they become lifelong. Moreover, taxing sugary products can persuade manufacturers to reformulate them; when some governments introduced a levy on high-sugar soft drinks, many companies reduced the sugar content to avoid paying it. The revenue raised could also fund healthcare or cheaper fresh produce.
Admittedly, critics argue that such a measure is unfair because it takes a larger share of income from poorer households, and that adults should be free to decide what they eat. Nevertheless, low-income families are also those most affected by diet-related illnesses, so they stand to benefit most from a reduction in sugar intake. Furthermore, the cost of treating these illnesses falls on everyone through public health systems, which justifies some government intervention. For this reason, higher prices should be accompanied by clear labelling and nutrition education, so that consumers understand why the change has been made.
In conclusion, I agree that sugary products should be made more expensive, as this is a proven way to influence behaviour and encourage healthier products. However, the policy will work best when it forms part of a broader public health campaign.
Why this answer scores highly
- Task Response
- The essay states a clear, consistent position of qualified agreement, develops reasons with relevant examples such as tobacco taxes and drinks reformulation, and addresses the main objection before reaching a well-supported conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Each paragraph has a clear central idea, arguments progress logically from effectiveness to objections and response, and cohesive devices such as admittedly, nevertheless and for this reason are used naturally.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise vocabulary such as financial deterrent, reformulate, regressive, diet-related illnesses and the burden on healthcare systems shows a wide and accurate range.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- The answer uses conditionals, passive forms, relative clauses and concessive structures accurately, with a natural mix of simple and complex sentences.
Useful vocabulary
- sugar tax
- a tax that makes products with a lot of sugar more expensive
- processed food
- food that has been changed by industrial methods, often with added sugar, salt or fat
- diet-related illnesses
- diseases caused or worsened by poor eating habits
- obesity
- the condition of being extremely overweight in a way that is harmful to health
- type 2 diabetes
- a long-term illness in which the body cannot control blood sugar properly, often linked to diet
- financial deterrent
- a cost that discourages people from doing something
- price-sensitive
- likely to buy less when prices rise
- reformulate
- change the ingredients of a product, e.g. to reduce sugar
- regressive
- taking a larger share of income from poorer people than from richer people
- personal freedom
- the right of individuals to make their own choices
- the burden on healthcare systems
- the cost and pressure that illness places on hospitals and health services
- subsidise
- pay part of the cost of something to make it cheaper
- public health campaign
- an organised effort to improve the health of the population
Common mistakes
- Writing mainly about why sugar is unhealthy, which the question already accepts, instead of evaluating the proposal to raise prices.
- Failing to state whether you agree or disagree, or giving a balanced discussion with no clear position.
- Changing position between the introduction and the conclusion.
- Discussing all unhealthy food, or natural sugar in fruit, rather than manufactured products with high sugar levels.
- Using exaggerated or invented statistics instead of reasonable, general examples.
- Ignoring counterarguments such as the effect on poorer families, which makes the argument less convincing.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Cambridge book is this question from?
- This question about making sugary food and drink more expensive is Writing Task 2 of Test 3 in Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic, published in 2021.
- Can I partly agree in this essay?
- Yes, as long as your overall position is clear, for example agreeing that prices should rise but arguing that other measures are also needed. State it in the introduction and keep it consistent.
- Do I need to discuss why sugar is unhealthy?
- Only briefly. The question accepts that sugar causes health problems, so focus on whether making sugary products more expensive is a good way to reduce consumption.
- How many words should I write?
- Write at least 250 words; about 270-300 words is enough to develop your position and respond to a counterargument.
Free and timed, with a live word count, just like the computer-delivered test. Then get an instant AI band score.
The exam simulator runs on a computer. Open this page on a laptop or desktop to practise.