# Celebrity pay vs essential workers: IELTS Writing Task 2 samples

Writing Task 2 - Society

Famous sportspeople and entertainers earn far more than people in essential jobs such as nurses and teachers. Some people think this is unfair. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 6 sample

Nowadays famous footballers, singers and actors earn millions of dollars every year, while nurses and teachers get a normal salary. Many people think this situation is unfair. I mostly agree with this opinion, but I also think it is difficult to change.

First of all, nurses and teachers do very important jobs for the society. Nurses take care of sick people in the hospital and sometimes they save lives. Teachers educate children who will become the doctors and engineers of the future. Without these workers, the country cannot develop. However, their salary is often low and many of them works long hours. For example, my aunt is a nurse and she often works at night and on weekends, but she still has to be careful with money. On the other hand, a famous footballer can earn more in one week than her in many years. I think this is not fair because the nurse job is more useful.

However, there are some reasons why celebrities earn so much money. They have special talent and only few people in the world can do what they do. Also, millions of fans buy tickets, watch them on TV and buy products with their name, so they bring a lot of money to their clubs and companies. It is the market decide their salary, not the government.

In conclusion, I agree that the difference in salary is unfair, because essential workers are more important for the society than entertainers. But I do not think we should reduce the salary of celebrities. Instead, the government should pay more money to nurses and teachers, so they can have a better life and more young people will want to do these jobs.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 6 essay gives a clear overall position and a sensible solution in the conclusion, and the example of the aunt who works nights is relevant. However, the second body paragraph lists reasons briefly without linking them back to the question of fairness, and "However" is repeated. Errors such as "many of them works", "than her" and "It is the market decide" are noticeable but do not block meaning. For Band 7, the writer would explain why market pay and social value differ and develop each point more fully.

## Band 7 sample

It is well known that leading athletes and entertainers receive enormous incomes, whereas nurses, teachers and other essential workers are paid modestly. I largely agree that this situation is unfair, although I believe the solution lies in raising the pay of essential workers rather than limiting what celebrities can earn.

The main reason I consider the gap unfair is that pay does not reflect the value that different jobs bring to society. Nurses care for patients through illness and injury, and teachers equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills it needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people in many countries applauded health workers publicly, yet many of these workers felt that this appreciation was not matched by better pay. Meanwhile, a successful singer may earn more from a single tour than a teacher earns in an entire career, even though entertainment, however enjoyable, is not essential to people's survival or development.

On the other hand, it is understandable why celebrities are paid so much. Their incomes are determined by the market: a world-class footballer attracts millions of viewers, sponsors and ticket sales, and the club pays a large salary because he generates even larger revenues. Moreover, very few people possess such rare talent, and careers in sport are often short. Putting a limit to these earnings would be difficult to enforce and might simply move the money to club owners or record companies.

In conclusion, I agree that it is unfair for people who provide essential services to earn so little compared with famous entertainers. However, the answer is not to punish success but for governments to value essential workers properly by offering better salaries and working conditions, which would also help attract more people into these vital professions.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 essay maintains a clear position, largely agreeing while explaining why the market produces high celebrity pay. The pandemic example is relevant and the conclusion follows logically from the body. However, the point that "careers in sport are often short" is mentioned without development, and there is a minor collocation error ("a limit to" rather than "a limit on"). A Band 8 essay would extend every supporting idea and explain more precisely why capping celebrity pay would not help essential workers.

The Band 8 and 9 samples are free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/writing/topics/task-2/celebrity-pay-vs-essential-workers).

## Common questions

### How many words should I write?

At least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2. Writing a little more is fine; an answer under the minimum loses marks.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Memorised material is marked down and you will not get this exact question. Use the samples to see what each band does with the same task.