Some people say that the most important requirement of a modern city is an effective public transport system. While other people believe that there are other important requirements for a city. Discuss both views, give your opinion.
Sample Response
It is believed that the foremost necessity for a modern city is an effective public transport system, while others contend that additional factors are equally crucial. I agree that efficient mass transit can form the backbone of urban life, but affordable housing and robust digital infrastructure are indispensable for a truly thriving metropolis.
Proponents of prioritising public transport emphasise its role in alleviating urban congestion. They argue that high-capacity metros and bus rapid transit corridors can carry thousands of passengers per hour, reducing reliance on private cars and ensuring smoother traffic flow during peak times. Moreover, public transport is believed to underpin environmental sustainability. This is because electric trains and clean-fuel buses emit significantly less CO₂ than individual vehicles, helping cities meet climate targets and improve air quality.
However, affordable housing availability is equally vital to a city’s health. The first reason behind my belief is that mixed-income developments located close to employment centres prevent long commutes and foster social stability by integrating diverse communities. When residents can live affordably near their workplaces, overall quality of life improves and economic participation rises. In addition, resilient digital infrastructure has become a cornerstone of modern urban living. City-wide high-speed internet supports remote work, reduces the need for daily commutes, and enables smart-city services—from real-time traffic management to telemedicine—that enhance efficiency and accessibility. Together, these elements demonstrate that true urban resilience stems from a synergistic blend of liveable communities and seamless digital connectivity, laying the groundwork for equitable opportunity and sustainable prosperity.
In conclusion, while I acknowledge that an effective public transport network is a critical pillar of contemporary urban environments, I contend that without adequate affordable housing and advanced digital connectivity, cities cannot achieve their full potential. A balanced investment in all three areas is essential for sustainable and inclusive urban growth.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use precise wording Original: foremost necessity Suggested revision: most important requirement Why it matters: The replacement is more natural and aligns precisely with the task's concept of a city requirement.
- 2. Clarify the contrast Original: additional factors are equally crucial Suggested revision: other factors are equally important Why it matters: Other factors expresses the contrast more directly than additional factors.
- 3. Simplify the subject Original: Proponents of prioritising public transport Suggested revision: Those who prioritise public transport Why it matters: The revision avoids a heavy nominal construction while retaining the same meaning.
- 4. Use direct voice Original: is believed to underpin environmental sustainability Suggested revision: also supports environmental sustainability Why it matters: The direct construction removes unnecessary passive hedging and connects this benefit to the previous one.
- 5. Improve collocation Original: individual Suggested revision: private Why it matters: Private vehicles is the conventional term for cars used by individuals in this transport context.
- 6. Use natural noun phrase Original: affordable housing availability Suggested revision: the availability of affordable housing Why it matters: The revised phrase is more idiomatic and easier to process.
- 7. Use concise signposting Original: The first reason behind my belief is that Suggested revision: One reason is that Why it matters: This signpost is more concise and avoids implying a numbered sequence that the paragraph does not maintain.
- 8. Clarify possession Original: overall quality of life improves Suggested revision: residents’ overall quality of life improves Why it matters: Naming residents makes clear whose quality of life improves.
- 9. Avoid inflated wording Original: a synergistic blend of Suggested revision: a combination of Why it matters: The simpler phrase conveys the relationship clearly without unnecessary abstraction.
- 10. Use concise phrasing Original: critical pillar of contemporary urban environments Suggested revision: essential feature of modern cities Why it matters: The replacement states the same idea more directly and naturally.
- 11. Clarify quantity Original: adequate Suggested revision: sufficient Why it matters: Sufficient more precisely expresses that enough affordable housing must be available.
- 12. Separate the requirements Suggested revision: Divide the housing and digital-infrastructure discussion into two paragraphs so each requirement has a distinct progression from claim to explanation. Why it matters: Combining both requirements in one long paragraph makes the shift to digital infrastructure less visible.
Suggested Rewrites
- foremost necessity most important requirement
- additional factors are equally crucial other factors are equally important
- Proponents of prioritising public transport Those who prioritise public transport
- is believed to underpin environmental sustainability also supports environmental sustainability
- individual private
- affordable housing availability the availability of affordable housing
Why this response received Band 8.5
The response’s strongest feature is its fully developed, balanced treatment of public transport alongside housing and digital infrastructure, anchored by a clear and consistent judgement. Its main limitation is a tendency toward densely packaged, highly abstract phrasing in the third paragraph; prioritise slightly leaner expression and a clearer division of the non-transport requirements so each line of reasoning remains maximally accessible and emphatic.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are addressed in depth through specific, relevant explanations, and the writer’s balanced opinion remains unambiguous throughout.
Add a brief concrete illustration of how the three priorities interact to make the already strong case even more persuasive.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument progresses naturally from transport to alternative priorities and concludes with a concise synthesis of the position.
Separate housing and digital infrastructure into more visibly distinct stages to prevent the third paragraph from becoming overly dense.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise and highly flexible across transport, housing, technology and sustainability, with only occasional abstraction.
Temper phrases such as synergistic blend and sustainable prosperity with plainer wording where maximum immediacy is preferable.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide variety of complex structures is used accurately and naturally, with consistently strong control of punctuation and clause relationships.
Maintain this control while occasionally shortening multi-clause sentences to give the most important claims greater emphasis.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people say that the most important requirement of a modern city is an effective public transport system. While other people believe that there are other important requirements for a city. Discuss both views, give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.