IELTS Book 4 Test 3 Task 2 Writing Band 9 pdf1

IELTS 4 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 3 Task 2 Question

Test 3 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert One

Censorship of artists is a very controversial topic these days. While many agree that art is better without the rules and interferences of the government, many also feel that certain types of artistic expression can damage society and have a negative impact on its youngest members. In this essay I will argue that though we cannot say a government should never impose restrictions, these restrictions should only limit artist’s freedom in extreme cases.

Take for instance the case of the celebrated Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Ai Weiwei was arrested in 2011 for criticizing the government, and promoting protests in Chinese cities. Many artists felt that Ai Weiwei’s arrest was a problem to do with human rights, and an international campaign was created to demand Weiwei’s release from prison. Weiwei should not have been put in prison simply for being critical of the government, or encouraging others to be critical. One cannot say that criticizing the government has a negative impact on a society. Often a government needs to hear what the public thinks of its policies, and creative artists have an important role to play in that regard.

The question remains: when can we say that a government is allowed to create restrictions? Writing or images that encourage hatred between individuals present us with a different picture. Regardless of our belief in the freedom of expression, governments are correct to get involved where people are made victims. In other cases, works of art can set negative models of behaviour which can lead to violence. Many believe that these cases are very clear. But even this is very difficult. The famous Irish novel Ulysses was banned in the United States when it was published at the beginning of the twentieth century, because it was considered to unsuitable. It is now considered to be a classic work of literature. This shows that public opinions change and that even works considered inappropriate may have a great deal of artistic value. Even in cases where we feel certain that a work of art is bad for society, not everyone will agree.

Though I have presented cases where government restriction is wrong and even presents human rights issues, we must also not forget that sometimes the government is right to get involved. Deciding each case is an extremely difficult task, and more often than not the answer is to let artists express themselves freely. In some extreme cases however, governments must risk the consequences of allowing censorship in order to prevent negative social influences, like the promotion of hatred and violence.

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