Car ownership has increased so rapidly over the past thirty years that many cities in the world are now ‘one big traffic jam.’ How true do you think this statement is? What measures can governments take to discourage people from using their cars?
Sample Response
It is true that the number of people having a car has increased exponentially in the last thirty years, and most metro cities these days are in the firm grip of the traffic. There are many steps that governments can take to tackle this problem.
To embark with, traffic congestion is the most pressing issue that many cities across the world face today. Over the last few decades, the rate of car ownership has accelerated significantly, and if not controlled, it is likely to rise further. Admittedly, governments across the world have tried to resolve this problem by widening existing roads; however, they have not been able to match the pace of increasing car ownership. Consequently, the problem of congestion has escalated to such a level that in big cities, it affects not only business activities but also the physical and mental well-being of residents. Apart from that, businesses incur a loss because of the delay in moving their goods and manpower. Moreover, urban residents also suffer because of the constant noise and air pollution caused by frequent traffic jams.
There are many measures that governments can initiate to mitigate this issue of increasing the number of cars on roads. First of all, governments can increase the financial burden of owning a car by imposing a green tax on the sale of new cars and fuel. They are likely to face resistance from voters; however, they can certainly gather public support by running awareness campaigns. Moreover, they can invest more in public transport. If people find that traveling by bus or commuter train can save their money and time, they will certainly prefer them to private vehicles.
In conclusion, although most cities struggle with the issue of traffic congestion, authorities can alleviate this situation by imposing a carbon tax on private vehicles and improving public transport infrastructure.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural ownership phrase Original: people having a car Suggested revision: people who own cars Why it matters: Own cars is the natural expression for car ownership in this context.
- 2. Use standard term Original: metro Suggested revision: major Why it matters: Major cities is the standard English expression for large urban centres.
- 3. Clarify congestion Original: in the firm grip of the traffic Suggested revision: severely affected by traffic congestion Why it matters: The revision replaces an unnatural expression with a precise description of the problem.
- 4. Fix opening linker Original: embark Suggested revision: begin Why it matters: To begin with is the conventional sequencing expression.
- 5. Improve collocation Original: match the pace of increasing car ownership Suggested revision: keep pace with rising car ownership Why it matters: Keep pace with is the natural collocation for matching a continuing increase.
- 6. Use plural noun Original: incur a loss Suggested revision: incur losses Why it matters: The plural form naturally describes losses experienced by businesses in general.
- 7. Use precise business terms Original: the delay in moving their goods and manpower Suggested revision: delays in moving goods and personnel Why it matters: The revision uses countable delays and replaces manpower with the precise noun personnel.
- 8. Use correct collocation Original: initiate Suggested revision: implement Why it matters: Governments implement measures rather than initiate them in this context.
- 9. Clarify the problem Original: this issue of increasing the number of cars on roads Suggested revision: the problem of the growing number of cars on the roads Why it matters: The revision makes clear that the number is growing rather than being increased by the issue itself.
- 10. Fix object structure Original: their Suggested revision: them Why it matters: With this meaning, save takes the person as an indirect object.
- 11. Clarify pronoun reference Original: prefer them to private vehicles Suggested revision: prefer these forms of transport to private vehicles Why it matters: The original pronoun could refer to people rather than the transport modes.
- 12. Use natural time phrase Original: in Suggested revision: over Why it matters: Over naturally describes a change occurring throughout a period.
Suggested Rewrites
- people having a car people who own cars
- metro major
- in the firm grip of the traffic severely affected by traffic congestion
- embark begin
- match the pace of increasing car ownership keep pace with rising car ownership
- incur a loss incur losses
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response answers both questions clearly, maintains a consistent view, and offers practical measures supported by logical explanation. Its main limitation is that the discussion of how true the traffic-jam claim is relies on general assertions and consequences rather than precise evidence, while some awkward collocations reduce polish. The highest-priority improvement is to substantiate the extent of the problem with a concrete example and refine unnatural word combinations.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions are addressed with a clear position, relevant consequences, and feasible government measures, though the first part is supported rather generally.
Use a specific city example or comparative fact to demonstrate more convincingly how widespread and severe congestion has become.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay follows a logical problem-and-solution progression, and paragraphing clearly separates the two required parts of the task.
Use less mechanical paragraph openings and tighten repeated references to governments, cars, and congestion.
Lexical Resource
The response shows good topic vocabulary and some flexible expression, but awkward collocations and imprecise choices occur noticeably.
Revise phrases such as ‘firm grip of the traffic,’ ‘goods and manpower,’ and ‘save their money and time’ into natural collocations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are frequent and generally well controlled, with only occasional article, preposition, agreement, and pronoun-reference errors.
Check noun phrases and pronoun reference carefully, particularly in sentences comparing public transport with private vehicles.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Car ownership has increased so rapidly over the past thirty years that many cities in the world are now ‘one big traffic jam.’ How true do you think this statement is? What measures can governments take to discourage people from using their cars?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.