The rise of social media platforms has made it easier for people to vent their frustrations and complaints publicly. What is the consequence of this trend? Is there any benefit to expressing complaints on social media?
Sample Response
People nowadays have taken to social networking platforms to express their frustration and complaints in public. While this trend can lead to cyberbullying, which is quite unpleasant, it also can reap potential benefits, such as vast reach and prompt resolution. This essay will discuss the outcome of this, and then outline potential benefits.
The ease of expressing distress publicly on social media sites can often drive people to become victims of online bullying and harassment and this is a negative consequence. When someone vents his complaints overtly, he may become the target of cyberbullying, abusive comments or personal attacks from others who hold different opinions. This can have a severe psychological impact, therefore causing anxiety or stress. For example, customers who vent about a company’s service or product may fall victim to online trolls by loyal customers.
However, this trend also reaps various advantages, such as huge reach and quick resolution. Social networking platforms usually have a larger user community, thus helping individuals to reach a vast audience with their dissatisfaction. By sharing their grievances publicly, people can excite attention to problems that may have otherwise gone ignored. By way of illustration, consider a customer’s complaint about poor service goes viral on social media. Not only does it reach the company, but also attracts potential clients and other people who may have had similar concerns. Besides, when complaints attract a substantial audience, there is a greater chance of a timely solution to mitigate any further negative consequences.
In conclusion, expressing complaints and frustrations on social media platforms has both positive and negative effects. Therefore, individuals should be cautious about venting frustrations freely on social networking sites.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Match plural nouns Original: frustration Suggested revision: frustrations Why it matters: The coordinated countable nouns should both be plural in this general statement.
- 2. Correct subject collocation Original: it also can reap potential benefits Suggested revision: it can also bring potential benefits Why it matters: A trend can bring benefits, while reap normally describes what a person or group gains.
- 3. Clarify vague reference Original: the outcome of this Suggested revision: this negative outcome Why it matters: The revision identifies which outcome the sentence will discuss.
- 4. Use inclusive reference Original: vents his complaints Suggested revision: voices their complaints Why it matters: Singular they avoids an unnecessary gender assumption and voices is the natural verb here.
- 5. Fix result connector Original: therefore Suggested revision: potentially Why it matters: Therefore does not attach naturally to this participial result clause.
- 6. Use correct noun form Original: trolls Suggested revision: trolling Why it matters: People fall victim to the activity of trolling rather than to trolls by another group.
- 7. Correct verb collocation Original: reaps Suggested revision: offers Why it matters: A trend offers advantages rather than reaping them.
- 8. Correct attention collocation Original: excite Suggested revision: draw Why it matters: Draw attention to is the standard collocation.
- 9. Correct modal sequence Original: may have otherwise gone ignored Suggested revision: might otherwise have gone unnoticed Why it matters: This word order correctly places otherwise before the perfect infinitive.
- 10. Restore parallel subject Original: but also attracts Suggested revision: but it also attracts Why it matters: The second half of the not only construction needs an explicit subject to parallel the first clause.
- 11. Use precise consequence Original: quite unpleasant Suggested revision: harmful Why it matters: Harmful states the seriousness of cyberbullying more precisely than the vague phrase quite unpleasant.
- 12. Use natural causative verb Original: drive Suggested revision: cause Why it matters: Cause is the natural verb for this direct consequence.
Suggested Rewrites
- frustration frustrations
- it also can reap potential benefits it can also bring potential benefits
- the outcome of this this negative outcome
- vents his complaints voices their complaints
- therefore potentially
- trolls trolling
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response directly answers both questions and develops a clear consequence and credible benefits through relevant explanations and examples. Its main limitation is uneven linguistic precision: several awkward collocations and faulty sentence constructions interrupt an otherwise logical argument. The highest-priority improvement is to express the same ideas with more natural word combinations and fully controlled complex sentences, especially in the benefits paragraph.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both parts are answered with a developed negative consequence and relevant benefits, though some supporting examples are slightly simplified or loosely reasoned.
Deepen the analysis by explaining the conditions under which public complaints lead to either harm or effective resolution.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is logically organised into a clear introduction, focused body paragraphs, and a conclusion, with generally effective progression.
Reduce formulaic transitions and clarify a few referential links so each sentence follows more naturally from the previous one.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is varied and topic-appropriate, but awkward combinations such as attracting or exciting attention reduce naturalness and precision.
Use more idiomatic collocations for raising awareness, reaching audiences, and obtaining prompt resolutions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of complex forms is attempted successfully, but several faulty constructions and coordination errors remain noticeable.
Check complex examples for complete clause structure, parallel coordination, and a clear subject for every finite verb.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The rise of social media platforms has made it easier for people to vent their frustrations and complaints publicly. What is the consequence of this trend? Is there any benefit to expressing complaints on social media?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.