According to some people, we have become more independent in the modern world while others oppose this view and say that we have become more dependent on each other. What is your viewpoint on this issue? Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
The often debated topic nowadays is whether the people should live an independent life or the dependency on other. In my opinion, people should have the capability to lead a life in both the way such that to have a successful life, which I will discuss in the following paragraph.
First, peopleFirstly, the people should be able to manage any kind of situation with their own knowledge and abilitiescapability without getting frightened or depressed. Every individual must have willpowera will power to tackle a problemfight against a problem without seeking help from othersseeking a help for others. When one develops such an abilitydevelops such ability, he can face any challenge in lifeface any challenges of his life; for example, when people are away from their hometownsout from their hometown. We can’t seek help from our parents all the timeall time. Parents cannot guide us through every stepguide in every step of our livesof your life so it’s important to find your own way of handlingmake your own way in handling a situation.
On the other handside, it’s not good to be independentbe an independent throughout lifethroughout the life. When you are new to a companyintroduced into a company you need to depend on others to receive guidance and supportget guidelines and support that help you work successfullywhich make your work successful. For example, when you are given a task of developing software you need to work as a team to meet all requirementsnecessity and finish by the deadlinefinish up by the given schedule. Not only in a working area but also when you are old enough you are unable to do work of your own and it’s necessary to depend on others.
As per my view leading a dependent and independent life depends on the situation. Hence it would be better to introduce yourself to both.
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response offers a clear situational view that people need both self-reliance and support, with relevant examples from living away from home, teamwork, and old age. Its strongest feature is the balanced practical stance. However, it largely reframes the question as how people should live rather than whether modern society has become more independent or interdependent; prioritise analysing modern changes such as technology, specialised work, and global supply chains.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both independence and dependence are discussed with a clear opinion, but the response does not analyse whether modern society has actually become more of either.
Focus each body paragraph on evidence of historical or modern change and then decide which trend is stronger overall.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-part structure and contrasting body paragraphs provide broadly clear progression, although some references and transitions are mechanical or vague.
Begin each body paragraph with a claim about the modern-world trend and make every example directly support that claim.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is adequate for the general topic, but frequent inaccurate collocations and repetitive wording restrict clarity and flexibility.
Use precise terms such as ‘self-reliance’, ‘interdependence’, ‘seek help from’, ‘work collaboratively’, and ‘meet a deadline’.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning is usually understandable, but frequent errors in articles, agreement, plurals, prepositions, pronouns, and clause construction limit control.
Use shorter sentence patterns and check noun phrases carefully, especially ‘both ways’, ‘help from others’, and ‘throughout life’.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
According to some people, we have become more independent in the modern world while others oppose this view and say that we have become more dependent on each other. What is your viewpoint on this issue? Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.