IELTS Writing Task 2 Vocabulary: Topic-by-Topic Word Bank (Band 7+)

"Automation has eliminated millions of repetitive manufacturing jobs."

"Algorithmic bias in hiring software can discriminate against minority candidates."

"The digital divide widens educational disparities between rural and urban students."

"Surveillance capitalism allows platforms to profit from users' browsing behaviour."

"Streaming services were a disruptive technology that destroyed the DVD rental industry."

"Governments are enacting data sovereignty laws to limit foreign access to citizens' information."

"Inadequate cybersecurity leaves critical infrastructure vulnerable to state-sponsored attacks."

"Augmented reality is transforming surgical training by simulating complex procedures."

"The proliferation of smartphones has fundamentally changed how information is consumed."

"Critics of technological determinism argue that human choices still shape how tools are used."

"High e-commerce penetration in urban areas is pressuring traditional retailers to close."

"Workers in the gig economy often lack pension rights and employment protections."

"Student-centred pedagogical approaches improve critical thinking more than rote memorisation."

"Socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes widen without targeted government intervention."

"Over-reliance on standardised testing narrows the curriculum and stifles creativity."

"Employers consistently rank critical thinking above degree classification when hiring graduates."

"Expanding vocational training would address skills shortages in construction and engineering."

"Rote learning may improve exam scores but does not develop analytical capabilities."

"Widening participation initiatives have raised university enrolment among low-income students."

"Online degrees face scepticism because academic rigour is difficult to verify remotely."

"Curriculum reform is overdue in countries that still teach outdated 20th-century subjects."

"Misaligned learning outcomes produce graduates who lack the skills employers need."

"Education remains the strongest predictor of intergenerational mobility in developed countries."

"Carbon emissions from the transport sector have not fallen despite electrification policies."

"Many countries have pledged to reach net zero by 2050, though progress remains insufficient."

"Intensive agriculture drives biodiversity loss by destroying natural habitats."

"Carbon pricing incentivises companies to shift investment towards renewable energy."

"A rapid renewable energy transition is necessary to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius."

"Deforestation in the Amazon releases carbon and destroys ecosystems that cannot be rebuilt."

"A circular economy approach would significantly reduce plastic waste entering the ocean."

"Rising sea levels could create hundreds of millions of climate refugees by 2100."

"A plant-based diet reduces the ecological footprint of food consumption by up to 50%."

"Greenwashing by corporations undermines consumer trust and delays genuine sustainability efforts."

"Current national pledges under the Paris Agreement are insufficient to meet the 1.5-degree target."

"Income inequality has increased in most OECD countries since the 1980s."

"High levels of immigration can strain social cohesion if integration policies are inadequate."

"Forced cultural assimilation policies have historically erased indigenous languages and identities."

"True meritocracy is undermined when wealth determines access to quality education."

"Multiculturalism enriches society by introducing diverse perspectives into public life."

"Rapid urbanisation in Asia has created megacities that struggle to provide basic services."

"Social stratification based on birth rather than merit limits economic dynamism."

"The demographic shift towards an ageing population is straining pension systems globally."

"Intergenerational equity requires today's governments to avoid borrowing that future taxpayers must repay."

"The welfare state has successfully reduced extreme poverty but faces funding challenges."

"Low media literacy makes populations vulnerable to misinformation campaigns."

"Sedentary lifestyles driven by screen time are contributing to rising obesity rates worldwide."

"Investment in preventive healthcare reduces long-term costs more than treating established disease."

"Mental health stigma remains the biggest barrier to treatment in many cultures."

"Non-communicable diseases now account for over 70% of global deaths annually."

"Healthcare privatisation improves efficiency but can exclude low-income patients."

"The obesity epidemic is driven by ultra-processed food marketing and sedentary work patterns."

"The pharmaceutical industry's pricing strategies limit drug access in developing countries."

"Universal healthcare improves population health outcomes and reduces productivity losses."

"Telemedicine has expanded access to specialists in rural areas where doctors are scarce."

"Health inequality between the richest and poorest citizens has widened in many developed countries."

"Labour market flexibility helps economies recover faster from recessions."

"Research suggests that moderate minimum wage increases do not significantly reduce employment."

"Remote working has blurred the boundary between professional and personal time."

"The gender pay gap persists partly due to women's disproportionate share of unpaid care work."

"Collective bargaining rights protect workers from exploitative employment practices."

"Governments must fund retraining for automation-displaced workers in manufacturing."

"The rise of precarious employment has contributed to growing income insecurity."

"Trials of the four-day work week have shown productivity can be maintained."

"A skills mismatch between graduates and industry needs wastes educational investment."

"Sustained productivity growth depends on investment in technology and worker training."

"High recidivism rates indicate that punishment alone does not deter criminal behaviour."

"Restorative justice programmes have reduced reoffending rates in several countries."

"The deterrence effect of capital punishment lacks empirical support in criminological research."

"Mandatory sentencing removes judicial discretion and can produce disproportionate outcomes."

"White-collar crime costs economies far more than street crime but attracts lighter sentences."

"Organised crime networks exploit weak border controls to traffic drugs and people."

"Investment in rehabilitation reduces prison populations and long-term social costs."

"Countries with punitive justice systems tend to have higher rates of imprisonment without lower crime."

"A surveillance state may reduce certain crimes while eroding privacy rights and civil liberties."