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 who own carspeople having a car has increased exponentially overin the last thirty years, and most majormetro cities these days are severely affected by traffic congestionin the firm grip of the traffic. There are several measures governments can takemany steps that governments can take to tackle this problem.
To beginembark 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. In responseAdmittedly, governments across the world have tried to resolve this problem by widening existing roads; however, they have not been able to keep pace with rising car ownershipmatch 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. FurthermoreApart from that, businesses incur lossesincur a loss because of delays in moving goods and personnelthe 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 implementinitiate to mitigate the problem of the growing number of cars on the roadsthis 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 on fuelsale of new cars and fuel. They are likely to face resistance from voters; however, they can certainly gaingather 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 themtheir money and time, they will certainly prefer these forms of transport to private vehiclesprefer 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.
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.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
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.