In the past, buildings often reflected the culture of a society but today all modern buildings look alike and cities throughout the world are becoming more and more similar. What do you think is the reason for this, and is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Sample Response
Every city has its architectural character, but the similarities between cities are more obvious these days than in the past. In my opinion, one reason for this is the high price of land.
In most large cities, land is scarce and consequently, it is very valuable. This has led to the construction of tall buildings which occupy only a small area of land while providing lots of floor space where people can live or work. Buildings of this type are made of concrete and steel and can be built comparatively quickly using prefabricated materials. They do not use local materials, such as stone, timber or brick, which used to give cities their individual character. In consequence many cities. now look very much the same and you might not know whether you were in Brisbane, Bangkok or Berlin when you are on the street.
While I realise that we cannot stand in the way of progress, I believe that cities should try to keep some individuality. For example, in Paris, it is prohibited to build very tall buildings in the centre of the city, as this would spoil the overall appearance of the skyline. Other cities have chosen to design unique buildings to ensure they look different. The twin towers in Kuala Lumpur or the Opera House in Sydney are examples of this approach, and I agree with this kind of initiative.
All in all, although it is regrettable that modem cities look similar, I tend to feel that this is unavoidable. However, it can be argued that, even if the buildings are similar, cities will maintain their own character as a result of cultural diversity, the terrain and the climate, which ultimately determine how people live.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Set off the adverb Original: and consequently, it is Suggested revision: and, consequently, it is Why it matters: Consequently is parenthetical here and needs commas on both sides.
- 2. Use formal quantity Original: lots of floor space Suggested revision: substantial floor space Why it matters: Substantial is more precise and formal than lots of.
- 3. Repair sentence punctuation Original: In consequence many cities. now Suggested revision: Consequently, many cities now Why it matters: The full stop incorrectly splits the sentence, and the linker needs a comma.
- 4. Keep viewpoint consistent Original: you might not know whether you were Suggested revision: visitors might not know whether they were Why it matters: A third-person subject avoids the abrupt shift to the reader.
- 5. Keep tense consistent Original: when you are on the street Suggested revision: while walking along the street Why it matters: This avoids switching from the hypothetical past form were to present-tense are.
- 6. Use precise wording Original: try to keep some individuality Suggested revision: preserve their individuality Why it matters: Preserve directly expresses maintaining each city's distinct character.
- 7. Use a clear subject Original: it is prohibited to build very tall buildings Suggested revision: very tall buildings are prohibited Why it matters: Making buildings the subject produces a more direct passive construction.
- 8. Remove redundancy Original: overall appearance of the skyline Suggested revision: appearance of the skyline Why it matters: Overall adds no necessary meaning to appearance here.
- 9. Clarify the pronoun Original: to ensure they look different Suggested revision: to give each city a distinctive appearance Why it matters: They could refer to either cities or buildings, so the revision makes the meaning explicit.
- 10. Join both examples Original: or Suggested revision: and Why it matters: Both landmarks are presented as examples, so and is the logical conjunction.
- 11. Use concise reference Original: this kind of initiative Suggested revision: this approach Why it matters: Approach refers back to the design strategy more directly.
- 12. Correct the typo Original: modem Suggested revision: modern Why it matters: Modem is a typographical error for modern.
Suggested Rewrites
- and consequently, it is and, consequently, it is
- lots of floor space substantial floor space
- In consequence many cities. now Consequently, many cities now
- you might not know whether you were visitors might not know whether they were
- when you are on the street while walking along the street
- try to keep some individuality preserve their individuality
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay fully addresses both why modern cities resemble one another and whether this is desirable, presenting a nuanced but clear view that similarity is regrettable yet often unavoidable. Its strongest feature is the well-developed chain from expensive land and standardized construction to lost local character, supported by relevant city examples. Only rare punctuation and spelling slips remain; prioritize final proofreading while preserving the precise, balanced argument.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both parts of the task are fully developed through a convincing economic explanation, clear evaluation and relevant examples of preserving identity.
As a refinement, make the final judgement explicitly connect the unavoidable economic pressure with the value of selective design controls.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced across focused paragraphs, and cohesion supports a clear movement from causes to evaluation and conclusion.
Correct the accidental sentence break after 'cities' to preserve otherwise seamless progression.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is flexible and precise across architecture, economics and cultural identity, with effective use of topic-specific terms.
Proofread the isolated spelling error 'modem' so that lexical accuracy matches the demonstrated range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentences is handled accurately, with only rare minor punctuation lapses that do not affect clarity.
Remove the stray full stop in 'many cities. now' and retain the otherwise strong control of subordination and comparison.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In the past, buildings often reflected the culture of a society but today all modern buildings look alike and cities throughout the world are becoming more and more similar. What do you think is the reason for this, and is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.