Some people believe that there should be fixed punishments for each type of crime. Others, however, argue that the circumstances of an individual crime, and the motivation for committing it, should always be taken into account when deciding on the punishment. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

One
of the most controversial issues today relates to the best way to punish criminals. In
this
essay, I am going to examine
this
question from both points of view and
then
give my own opinion on the matter. On
one
side of the argument, some people argue that the benefits of standardised punishments considerably outweigh their disadvantages. The main reason for believing
this
is that it is more efficient and cheaper to manage.
One
good illustration of
this
is parking tickets. If every
one
of these had to go to court and be ruled upon by a judge and jury
this
would be very expensive and waste a lot of people’s time. It is
also
possible to say that
this
system is fairer because every person is treated the same regardless of race or gender.
On the other hand
, it is
also
possible to make the opposing case. It is often argued that it is better to consider the situation and reason for a
crime
. People often have
this
opinion because sometimes people are forced to commit a
crime
such
as murder due to reasons like self-defence.
This
should be considered in sentencing for the
crime
. A
second
point is that the reason for a
crime
should be taken into account. A particularly good example here is that someone who steals food to feed their family shouldn’t be punished as someone who steals a watch because they want to look wealthy. In conclusion, in my opinion, both arguments have their merits. On balance,
however
, I tend to believe that it is better to decide the penalty on a case-by-case basis, as getting the right decision is more important than the justice system saving money.
Submitted by Chandan Kumar Singh on

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Fully explain your ideas

To get an excellent score in the IELTS Task 2 writing section, one of the easiest and most effective tips is structuring your writing in the most solid format. A great argument essay structure may be divided to four paragraphs, in which comprises of four sentences (excluding the conclusion paragraph, which comprises of three sentences).

For we to consider an essay structure a great one, it should be looking like this:

  • Paragraph 1 - Introduction
    • Sentence 1 - Background statement
    • Sentence 2 - Detailed background statement
    • Sentence 3 - Thesis
    • Sentence 4 - Outline sentence
  • Paragraph 2 - First supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 3 - Second supporting paragraph
    • Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
    • Sentence 2 - Example
    • Sentence 3 - Discussion
    • Sentence 4 - Conclusion
  • Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
    • Sentence 1 - Summary
    • Sentence 2 - Restatement of thesis
    • Sentence 3 - Prediction or recommendation

Our recommended essay structure above comprises of fifteen (15) sentences, which will make your essay approximately 250 to 275 words.

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ »— a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

What to do next:
Look at other essays: