Band 8 model answer
A model answer written to illustrate a Band 8 response to this question, with the rubric breakdown and what carries it. Written by us as a teaching example, not a verified exam script.
“In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”8
Overall
8
Task response
8
Coherence & cohesion
8
Lexical resource
8
Grammar
The claim that printed newspapers and books will disappear once digital reading becomes universally free is an appealing prediction, but I largely disagree. While online content has already displaced much of the print market, a complete eradication of paid physical media is unlikely for a combination of commercial, cultural, and practical reasons.
It is undeniable that digital reading has transformed consumption habits dramatically. Streaming news, e-book platforms, and social media have together slashed print newspaper circulations to a fraction of their former levels. Younger readers in particular habitually obtain information from their phones at no direct cost, and this trend will only intensify as connectivity improves in developing economies.
However, the premise that everything will be available online without payment underestimates how content is funded. Quality journalism and book publishing both require significant investment in editorial talent, legal review, and production. As advertising revenue for freely accessible websites continues to decline, subscription paywalls have proliferated rather than retreated. Outlets such as the Financial Times and The Economist have built robust digital-subscription businesses precisely because discerning readers accept that valued content carries a cost, whether on paper or screen.
Additionally, print retains genuine advantages that digital media cannot easily replicate: the absence of notifications and algorithm-driven distraction, superior battery-free reliability, and a tactile reading experience that many people actively prefer. Book sales have proved remarkably resilient in markets where e-books were predicted to dominate entirely.
In conclusion, the future will most likely involve a shrunken but surviving print market alongside a dominant paid digital sector. The notion that all content will be free online is commercially implausible, and the claim that nobody will ever buy a printed book or newspaper overstates a real but incomplete trend.
- •Engages directly and honestly with the opposing trend before rebutting it
- •Economic argument about content funding is precise and well-reasoned
- •Specific named examples (Financial Times, The Economist) add credibility
- •Nuanced conclusion avoids a binary stance while maintaining a clear position
- •The paragraph on print advantages briefly lists points without developing any one of them in sufficient depth
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