In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in. What are the reasons for this? How can people research this?
Sample Response
Many citizens, nowadays, are inquisitive about the home they live in as extensively as possible primarily because they want to learn about the background and style of their house, assess the safety, and find out if it is haunted. I believe nearby elderly citizens and the internet could be two invaluable sources for such curious people to find the best possible information about their buildings.
The knowledge of the background of a house gives people a sense of self-satisfaction. This is why people, especially those who live in a house that was built many years ago, are often interested in finding out more about the adobe. The background often includes how the house was painstakingly built in an era when technology was not so advanced. Thus, exploring the background reveals some unique and fascinating facts. For instance, it was a common misconception for many dwellers in the old part of our city that their houses were built during the English colonial era. In fact, researchers recently found that those houses were built mimicking the English styles but by the local masons. It was fascinating to finally learn about it. Moreover, the construction and the built quality of a house convey much information about the safety and durability of the houses. Knowing such details could prevent people from facing any disaster like falling victim to a collapsed house. Finally, some people superstitiously think a house might be haunted if it has some bad history. Learning about its history often comes from their personal belief and their motivation to either cleanse the house or move off.
To get proper information about the houses, people can talk to local senior citizens who have been living there for quite a while. They can offer first-hand information about the building and much more details that are not available elsewhere. On top of that, the internet could be another effective source to get details of a house. For instance, many websites store data about houses in the UK, and anyone can find them online with just a few mouse clicks.
In conclusion, people's motivations to learn about their houses could range from safety reasons to simple curiosity, from superstition to practical reasons. To get the best information they can contact elderly locals and browse the internet.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove interrupting commas Original: citizens, nowadays, are Suggested revision: citizens nowadays are Why it matters: The adverb is integrated into the clause and does not need parenthetical commas.
- 2. Add the possessive reference Original: the Suggested revision: its Why it matters: The possessive pronoun clarifies that the safety belongs to the house.
- 3. Use a natural local term Original: nearby elderly citizens Suggested revision: elderly local residents Why it matters: The replacement identifies older people who live in the area more naturally.
- 4. Use neutral relevant wording Original: such curious people Suggested revision: such interested residents Why it matters: 'Interested residents' fits people researching their own buildings without implying intrusive curiosity.
- 5. Prioritise reliability Original: the best possible information Suggested revision: reliable information Why it matters: For historical research, reliability is more relevant than a vague superlative.
- 6. Use a concise history phrase Original: The knowledge of the background of a house Suggested revision: Knowledge about a house's history Why it matters: The replacement removes repeated 'of' phrases and uses the natural preposition.
- 7. Correct the property noun Original: adobe Suggested revision: abode Why it matters: 'Abode' means a home, whereas 'adobe' is a building material.
- 8. Use history as the subject Original: background Suggested revision: history Why it matters: A house's history, not its background, can include an account of how it was built.
- 9. Use the singular general style Original: styles Suggested revision: style Why it matters: The houses imitate one broadly identified architectural style.
- 10. Remove the faulty contrast Original: but by the local masons Suggested revision: by local masons Why it matters: The clause does not contrast the style with the builders, so 'but' is unnecessary.
- 11. Clarify the discovered fact Original: learn about it Suggested revision: learn this Why it matters: The demonstrative clearly refers to the newly discovered historical fact.
- 12. Use a natural information verb Original: convey much information Suggested revision: provide considerable information Why it matters: Features provide information rather than convey it in this context.
Suggested Rewrites
- citizens, nowadays, are citizens nowadays are
- the its
- nearby elderly citizens elderly local residents
- such curious people such interested residents
- the best possible information reliable information
- The knowledge of the background of a house Knowledge about a house's history
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response fully answers both questions, developing varied motivations such as curiosity, structural safety, and superstition before offering practical research methods supported by examples. Its main limitation is occasional awkward or inaccurate vocabulary within otherwise clear and well-organised writing; the priority is to refine collocations and distinguish reliable documentary sources from informal testimony so the research advice becomes more precise and credible.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both the reasons for researching a building and practical methods are fully addressed with varied development and relevant examples.
Strengthen the research section by adding official archives, property records, or local historical societies and explaining how sources can be verified.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is logically organised into reasons, methods, and a concise conclusion, with cohesive devices guiding the progression effectively.
Divide the long reasons paragraph if expanding it further, so curiosity, safety, and superstition remain equally easy to follow.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is broad and often precise, but several inaccurate or awkward choices such as adobe and built quality reduce control.
Use natural phrases such as abode, construction quality, structural collapse, troubled history, move out, and many more details.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is generally accurate, with occasional errors in comparison, agreement, articles, and noun phrasing.
Proofread comparative quantity phrases and noun groups, especially when referring to information, details, and multiple houses.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In some countries, more and more people are becoming interested in finding out about the history of the house or building they live in. What are the reasons for this? How can people research this?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.