Writing Task Two (Academic and General )​

 

Question: ​Access to clean water is a basic human right. Therefore every home should have a water supply that is provided free of charge. Do you agree or disagree?​

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Access to clean water is indeed very important in every person’s life. Some people believe that the government should provide water free of charge to all households. In my opinion, I partly agree with this statement, because water is necessary for survival, but giving it for free may also cause problems.

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On the one hand, it is well known that water is a basic need for all humans, just like food and shelter. If people do not have clean water, their health will suffer, and diseases can spread quickly. Poor families especially will benefit if water is free, because they will not need to spend a large part of their income on paying bills. For this reason, many people think water should be given to everyone without cost.

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On the other hand, if water is completely free, some people might waste it. For example, they may leave taps running or use too much water for things that are not necessary. This could damage the environment and increase the problem of water shortage. Moreover, the government needs money to clean and transport water to people’s homes. If nobody pays, then the government might not be able to maintain the water system properly.

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In conclusion, I believe that every person should have access to clean water because it is a human right. However, instead of giving it totally free, governments can provide it at a very low price or give support to poor families. This would be a fairer and more sustainable solution.

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Word count: 251

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Commentary on the grammar used:

Intro:
"Access to clean water is a basic human right, yet there is debate over whether it should be provided free of charge to all homes. While free water benefits poor families, it may create financial and environmental challenges."

• Balanced contrast: "yet"

• Adverb of stance: "while"

• Complex noun phrase: "financial and environmental challenges"

• Present simple passive idea: implied in “is a basic human right”

Body 1:
"Supporters argue that everyone needs water for survival. Poor families especially benefit if water is free, because they do not have to spend a large part of their income. Without clean water, health problems and disease can spread quickly."

• Reporting verb: "argue that"

• Present simple for general truths

• Cause-effect link: "because"

• Parallel ideas/examples: survival, poor families, disease

Body 2:
"Opponents warn that free water may lead to waste. People might leave taps running or overuse water, creating shortages. Governments also need funds to clean and transport water, which could be difficult if no one pays."

• Contrast marker: "Opponents warn that"

• Modal verb: "might lead / could be"

• Parallel structure: waste, shortages, government issues

• Cause-effect connection: "which could be difficult if no one pays"

Conclusion:
"In my view, everyone should have access to clean water, but giving it entirely free is not practical. Necessity may justify low-cost water for poor families, but charging a small fee ensures sustainability and reduces waste."

• Author stance: "In my view"

• Modal: "may justify"

• Balanced compound sentence: "but charging a small fee ensures sustainability and reduces waste"

• Concluding concessive: "Necessity may justify..., but charging a small fee ensures..."