A shopper waited forty-eight hours before buying a discounted device and realised the old one still worked.
/ə ˈʃɑpɚ ˈweɪtɪd ˈfɔɹti eɪt ˈaʊɚz bɪˈfɔɹ ˈbaɪɪŋ ə ˈdɪˌskaʊntɪd dɪˈvaɪs ænd ˈɹiəˌlaɪzd ðə oʊld wʌn stɪl wɚkt./
At first, this looked like a small decision about consumerism, but its result soon became visible.
/æt fɚst, ðɪs lʊkt laɪk ə smɔl dɪˈsɪʒən əˈbaʊt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm, bʌt ɪts ɹɪˈzʌlt sun bɪˈkeɪm ˈvɪzɪbəl./
The case raises a broader question: how convenience and status influence what people buy.
/ðə keɪs ˈɹeɪzɪz ə ˈbɹɔdɚ ˈkwɛst͡ʃən: haʊ kənˈvinjəns ænd ˈstætəs ˈɪnfluəns wʌt ˈpipəl baɪ./
The evidence suggests that consumerism affects groups in different ways.
/ðə ˈɛvədəns səˈd͡ʒɛsts ðæt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm əˈfɛkts ɡɹups ɪn ˈdɪfɹənt weɪz./
The example draws attention to a consumer choice, which can shape how people respond to consumerism.
/ðə ɪɡˈzæmpəl dɹɔz əˈtɛnʃən tə ə kənˈsumɚ t͡ʃɔɪs, wɪt͡ʃ kən ʃeɪp haʊ ˈpipəl ɹɪˈspɑnd tə kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm./
A closer look at an excessive consumption reveals a practical side of consumerism that general opinions often miss.
/ə ˈkloʊsɚ lʊk æt ən ɪkˈsɛsɪv kənˈsʌmpʃən ɹɪˈvilz ə ˈpɹæktɪkəl saɪd əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ðæt ˈd͡ʒɛnɚəl əˈpɪnjənz ˈɔftən mɪs./
A useful question about consumerism focuses on what happened, why it matters, and what should happen next.
/ə ˈjusfəl ˈkwɛst͡ʃən əˈbaʊt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ˈfoʊkəsɪz ɔn wʌt ˈhæpənd, waɪ ɪt ˈmætɚz, ænd wʌt ʃʊd ˈhæpən nɛkst./
A concrete example of consumerism makes the central idea easier to understand and evaluate.
/ə ˈkɑŋkɹit ɪɡˈzæmpəl əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm meɪks ðə ˈsɛntɹəl aɪˈdiə ˈiziɚ tə ˌʌndɚˈstænd ænd ɪˈvæljuˌeɪt./
The meaning of consumerism becomes clearer when people connect it to a real experience.
/ðə ˈminɪŋ əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm bɪˈkʌmz ˈklɪɹɚ wɛn ˈpipəl kəˈnɛkt ɪt tə ə ɹil ɪkˈspɪɹiəns./
For an individual, the first useful step is to describe what actually happened instead of offering a vague opinion.
/fɚ ən ˌɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒuəl, ðə fɚst ˈjusfəl stɛp ɪz tə dɪˈskɹaɪb wʌt ˈækt͡ʃəli ˈhæpənd ɪnˈstɛd əv ˈɔfɚɪŋ ə veɪɡ əˈpɪnjən./
One concrete detail creates a picture, a reason explains its meaning, and a result gives the account a natural ending.
/wʌn ˈkɑŋkɹit ˈditeɪl kɹiˈeɪts ə ˈpɪkt͡ʃɚ, ə ˈɹizən ɪkˈspleɪnz ɪts ˈminɪŋ, ænd ə ɹɪˈzʌlt ɡɪvz ðə əˈkaʊnt ə ˈnæt͡ʃɚəl ˈɛndɪŋ./
This simple structure makes the idea easier to understand, remember, and retell in your own words.
/ðɪs ˈsɪmpəl ˈstɹʌkt͡ʃɚ meɪks ðə aɪˈdiə ˈiziɚ tə ˌʌndɚˈstænd, ɹɪˈmɛmbɚ, ænd ɹiˈtɛl ɪn jʊɹ oʊn wɚdz./
People can describe an experience when a real situation involving consumerism requires action.
/ˈpipəl kən dɪˈskɹaɪb ən ɪkˈspɪɹiəns wɛn ə ɹil ˌsɪt͡ʃuˈeɪʃən ɪnˈvɑlvɪŋ kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ɹiˈkwaɪɚz ˈækʃən./
A convincing view of consumerism gives a reason and then tests it against a concrete example.
/ə kənˈvɪnsɪŋ vju əv kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ɡɪvz ə ˈɹizən ænd ðɛn tɛsts ɪt əˈɡɛnst ə ˈkɑŋkɹit ɪɡˈzæmpəl./
The result matters because it shows whether a response to consumerism worked in practice.
/ðə ɹɪˈzʌlt ˈmætɚz bɪˈkʌz ɪt ʃoʊz ˈwɛðɚ ə ɹɪˈspɑns tə kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm wɚkt ɪn ˈpɹæktɪs./
However, an early success can hide a cost that appears later.
/ˌhaʊˈɛvɚ, ən ˈɚli səkˈsɛs kən haɪd ə kɔst ðæt əˈpɪɹz ˈleɪtɚ./
This matters because the decision changes what people can do in ordinary life.
/ðɪs ˈmætɚz bɪˈkʌz ðə dɪˈsɪʒən ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒɪz wʌt ˈpipəl kən du ɪn ˈɔɹdɪˌnɛɹi laɪf./
The most practical lesson is that consumerism should be judged through real effects rather than attractive slogans.
/ðə moʊst ˈpɹæktɪkəl ˈlɛsən ɪz ðæt kənˈsumɚˌɪzəm ʃʊd bi d͡ʒʌd͡ʒd θɹu ɹil ɪˈfɛkts ˈɹæðɚ ðən əˈtɹæktɪv ˈsloʊɡənz./
Good decisions connect a clear purpose with evidence, human experience, and the willingness to revise a weak approach.
/ɡʊd dɪˈsɪʒənz kəˈnɛkt ə klɪɹ ˈpɚpəs wɪθ ˈɛvədəns, ˈhjumən ɪkˈspɪɹiəns, ænd ðə ˈwɪlɪŋnəs tə ɹɪˈvaɪz ə wik əˈpɹoʊt͡ʃ./
When those parts stay connected, the topic becomes easier to discuss in daily conversation and in an IELTS answer.
/wɛn ðoʊz pɑɹts steɪ kəˈnɛktɪd, ðə ˈtɑpɪk bɪˈkʌmz ˈiziɚ tə dɪˈskʌs ɪn ˈdeɪli ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃən ænd ɪn ən aɪ ɛl ti ɛs ˈænsɚ./