Some people think that cities are the best places to live. Others prefer to live in a rural area. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of living in the city to living in the countryside.
Sample Response
Whether cities are better than rural area or vice-versa is a contentious question, it depends on one's choice, as to, what they prefer. Both cities and rural areas have their pros and cons. Rural areas have quaint environments whereas there is always something fascinating about big cities. Cities generally have better infrastructure, education system and advance health care facilities. You get to meet people from all walks of life, learn to coexist with people from different ethnicity, race, caste and culture; hence you become more tolerant, open minded and start respecting each other differences. Whereas countryside people are less tolerant, caste system still prevails and the powers lie with a certain group of people. If you see, today in India, Love marriages /inter-caste marriages are very common in cities, whereas people are being murdered in the name of honour in rural areas. Gender inequality is very evident in a rural area, where women are being restricted only to household chores and do not have much say in decision making, but in cities, both are treated equally. It is not uncommon to see people migrating to cities for better jobs, better education. People in the cities are always under tremendous pressure and stress, they always have to be up to date with technologies and hence there is no time to relax. Recently studies have shown a surge in the number of cases of heart attacks, which is due to increase in stress level. People in cities are constantly exposed to high level of pollution, adulterated food and chemically grown vegetables, which adversely affects their health, owing to which the average life of people living is cities is less than people living in rural area. Increased cases of obesity, suicides, diabetes are also resulting in stress and unhealthy living. Rural areas on other hand have no or very less pollution, pure food item and less stress, people have more time for themselves and their families. To sum up, I think both cities and rural areas have their own charm. Cities have more busy and hectic life but have better facilities, rural areas, on the contrary, have more relaxed, laid back lifestyle but lacks in up to date technologies like computers and international standard of healthcare and education system.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use the plural noun Original: area Suggested revision: areas Why it matters: The comparison refers to rural places generally, so the noun should be plural.
- 2. Fix the comma splice Original: , it depends Suggested revision: ; it depends Why it matters: A semicolon correctly joins these two independent clauses.
- 3. Remove internal commas Original: choice, as to, what Suggested revision: choice as to what Why it matters: The commas incorrectly separate the preposition and its complement.
- 4. Use parallel plurals Original: system Suggested revision: systems Why it matters: The general list requires a plural count noun for education systems.
- 5. Use the adjective Original: advance health care facilities Suggested revision: advanced healthcare facilities Why it matters: Advanced is the adjective needed to describe the facilities.
- 6. Use the plural noun Original: ethnicity Suggested revision: ethnicities Why it matters: Different requires a plural count noun in this general list.
- 7. Add possession Original: other Suggested revision: other's Why it matters: The possessive form each other's is required before the noun differences.
- 8. Complete the contrast Original: Whereas countryside people Suggested revision: By contrast, people in the countryside Why it matters: Whereas creates a dependent fragment here, while this linker forms a complete sentence.
- 9. Correct subject agreement Original: the powers lie Suggested revision: power lies Why it matters: Power is uncountable in this meaning and takes the singular verb lies.
- 10. Format the alternatives Original: Love marriages /inter-caste marriages Suggested revision: love marriages and inter-caste marriages Why it matters: Lowercase wording and and present the two categories clearly in formal prose.
- 11. Use simple passive Original: are being restricted Suggested revision: are restricted Why it matters: The simple present passive describes this claimed general condition more accurately.
- 12. Use uncountable technology Original: technologies Suggested revision: technology Why it matters: Technology is uncountable when referring generally to modern technical developments.
Suggested Rewrites
- area areas
- , it depends ; it depends
- choice, as to, what choice as to what
- system systems
- advance health care facilities advanced healthcare facilities
- ethnicity ethnicities
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response provides a wide-ranging comparison, with relevant discussion of facilities, social conditions, employment, stress, pollution, and rural lifestyles. Its strongest feature is the breadth of supporting ideas, while its main limitation is that several claims are sweeping and the one-block structure obscures the comparison. The highest priority is to organise balanced points into clear paragraphs and explain each claim with more measured, precise support.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both settings are compared through multiple relevant advantages and disadvantages, with a balanced conclusion and generally developed support.
Qualify broad social claims and explain the causal links behind examples rather than presenting them as universal facts.
Coherence and Cohesion
The comparison follows a broadly understandable sequence, but the absence of paragraphing and frequent comma-linked clauses weaken progression.
Group city benefits, city drawbacks, and rural contrasts into distinct paragraphs with clearer internal topic control.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and often topic-appropriate, including language about infrastructure, inequality, migration, pollution, and healthcare.
Improve word form, agreement, and collocation in phrases such as 'advanced healthcare,' 'different ethnicities,' and 'a higher stress level.'
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response attempts many complex structures, but recurring article, agreement, plural, and sentence-boundary errors reduce accuracy.
Separate run-on sentences and systematically check articles and subject-verb agreement after drafting.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that cities are the best places to live. Others prefer to live in a rural area. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of living in the city to living in the countryside.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.