In many workplaces online communication has overtaken face to face meetings. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
In today’s ever-increasingly digital world, online communication has become the norm for many workplaces. While this development offers numerous advantages for companies such as greater flexibility and efficiency, it also brings with it certain disadvantages like miscommunication, which must be weighed against its benefits.
One of the primary advantages of online communication is that it makes it easier for teams to stay in touch without having to physically convene. This is especially beneficial when individuals or groups are dispersed across vast distances. Reduced travel costs, as well as time saved from not having to travel to and from meetings, also represent meaningful savings for businesses. Additionally, online communication platforms often have a range of features designed to make collaboration more efficient, such as providing an easy way to share documents and other materials with remote team members. To illustrate, digital resources can be sent quickly and securely via email or other software services like Dropbox or Google Drive.
There is a potential drawback associated with relying too heavily on online communication at work, as the lack of physical proximity between members of a team can often lead to misunderstandings due to a loss of context or nonverbal cues that would otherwise be present during face-to-face meetings. However, in my opinion, issues of this nature can be solved by using written language more carefully to avoid any confusion or miscommunication among colleagues.
In conclusion, when online communication tools are used properly, they undoubtedly provide companies with greater flexibility in how their teams collaborate without sacrificing clarity of communication, quality or efficiency.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify example structure Original: for companies such as Suggested revision: to companies, including Why it matters: The replacement makes clear that flexibility and efficiency are examples of advantages, not companies.
- 2. Use concise verb Original: brings with it Suggested revision: brings Why it matters: With it is unnecessary because the verb already expresses the introduction of disadvantages.
- 3. Use formal example phrase Original: disadvantages like miscommunication Suggested revision: disadvantages, such as miscommunication Why it matters: Such as introduces the example more precisely in formal writing.
- 4. Clarify pronoun reference Original: its Suggested revision: these Why it matters: These clearly refers back to the advantages just named, whereas its has an ambiguous antecedent.
- 5. Use concise description Original: dispersed across vast distances Suggested revision: geographically dispersed Why it matters: The replacement conveys the same spatial separation more precisely and concisely.
- 6. Improve preposition pattern Original: time saved from not having to travel Suggested revision: time saved by avoiding travel Why it matters: Saved by followed by a gerund gives the means of saving time more naturally.
- 7. Tighten the wording Original: often have a range of features Suggested revision: often include features Why it matters: The direct verb removes an unnecessary have a range of construction.
- 8. Name services precisely Original: software services like Dropbox or Google Drive Suggested revision: cloud-storage services such as Dropbox or Google Drive Why it matters: The replacement identifies the type of service more accurately and uses a formal example marker.
- 9. Use natural phrasing Original: without having to physically convene Suggested revision: without needing to meet in person Why it matters: Meet in person is clearer and more natural than physically convene in this context.
- 10. Tighten the phrase Original: providing an easy way to share Suggested revision: making it easy to share Why it matters: The replacement expresses the platform function more directly and concisely.
- 11. Qualify the claim Original: issues of this nature can be solved Suggested revision: these issues can be reduced Why it matters: Reduced is more precise than the absolute claim that communication problems can be completely solved.
- 12. Remove overlapping terms Original: avoid any confusion or miscommunication Suggested revision: avoid confusion Why it matters: Confusion and miscommunication overlap here, so one term conveys the intended result more concisely.
Suggested Rewrites
- for companies such as to companies, including
- brings with it brings
- disadvantages like miscommunication disadvantages, such as miscommunication
- its these
- dispersed across vast distances geographically dispersed
- time saved from not having to travel time saved by avoiding travel
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is clear, concise, and well organised, with a persuasive case that the practical benefits of online communication outweigh a manageable communication risk. Its main limitation is that the disadvantage is treated briefly and resolved somewhat too easily, so the comparison lacks depth. Prioritize developing the counterargument and explicitly weighing its significance against the main benefits before reaching the conclusion.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response answers the comparative question with a clear position and relevant, developed advantages, although the disadvantage receives relatively limited analysis.
Develop the communication drawback with a concrete consequence and explicitly compare its severity with the time, cost, and flexibility benefits.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is easy to follow, paragraphs have clear purposes, and cohesion is handled naturally across the response.
Strengthen the transition into the final judgment by making the weighing step more explicit at the end of the disadvantage paragraph.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a broad and precise range of workplace and communication vocabulary with strong control of collocation and register.
Polish the few slightly cumbersome choices, such as ever-increasingly digital, and avoid repeating communication and efficiency where concise alternatives are available.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide variety of complex sentence forms is used accurately, and errors are rare enough not to affect clarity.
Maintain this accuracy while occasionally shortening long multi-clause sentences to sharpen emphasis and readability.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In many workplaces online communication has overtaken face to face meetings. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.