The cost of public transport has been rapidly rising over the past decade. What are the reasons for this? What are some possible solutions?
Sample Response
In recent years, public transportation has become significantly more expensive. This surge in cost has placed a considerable strain on urban residents, with commuting expenses taking up a substantial part of their monthly earnings. I believe that both inflation and less-than-ideal government policies are key contributors to this problem.
There are, however, several ways to ease this financial pressure. One approach is to offer discounted or subsidized tickets to vulnerable groups such as students, the elderly, and people from low-income backgrounds. Another solution would be for governments to explore more cost-effective and environmentally friendly transport alternatives, such as electric or solar-powered vehicles. These sustainable options not only reduce emissions but also tend to be cheaper to operate and maintain in the long run.
To sum up, while the rising cost of public transportation may be unavoidable due to economic trends and policy shortcomings, steps can still be taken to lessen its impact. Targeted subsidies and the adoption of greener technologies could significantly reduce the financial burden on the population.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use precise fare term Original: surge in cost Suggested revision: rise in fares Why it matters: This wording refers more precisely to what public transport users pay.
- 2. Use direct wording Original: less-than-ideal government policies Suggested revision: ineffective government policies Why it matters: The replacement states the criticism more directly and formally.
- 3. Name the affected group Original: the population Suggested revision: public transport users Why it matters: This identifies the people affected by transport costs more precisely.
- 4. Specify financial impact Original: placed a considerable strain Suggested revision: placed considerable financial strain Why it matters: Adding financial makes the kind of strain explicit.
- 5. Use concise cost phrasing Original: commuting expenses taking up a substantial part of their monthly earnings Suggested revision: commuting costs consuming a substantial share of their monthly income Why it matters: The replacement is more concise and uses natural financial collocations.
- 6. Refer to the rise Original: key contributors to this problem Suggested revision: major contributors to this rise Why it matters: This links the causes directly to the increase in fares.
- 7. Match the two solutions Original: several ways Suggested revision: two main ways Why it matters: The paragraph presents two solutions, so this wording previews them accurately.
- 8. Name affected commuters Original: ease this financial pressure Suggested revision: ease the pressure on commuters Why it matters: This identifies who experiences the financial pressure.
- 9. Use fare terminology Original: offer discounted or subsidized tickets Suggested revision: offer subsidized or discounted fares Why it matters: Fares is the more precise term for the price charged for public transport.
- 10. Use concise expression Original: people from low-income backgrounds Suggested revision: people on low incomes Why it matters: The replacement is shorter and directly describes current income level.
- 11. Use direct transition Original: Another solution would be for governments to explore Suggested revision: Governments could also adopt Why it matters: Also links the second solution clearly while making the sentence more direct.
- 12. Name the technology Original: alternatives Suggested revision: technologies Why it matters: Technologies fits the following examples of electric and solar-powered vehicles more precisely.
Suggested Rewrites
- surge in cost rise in fares
- less-than-ideal government policies ineffective government policies
- the population public transport users
- placed a considerable strain placed considerable financial strain
- commuting expenses taking up a substantial part of their monthly earnings commuting costs consuming a substantial share of their monthly income
- key contributors to this problem major contributors to this rise
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is clear, well organised, and uses a strong range of precise language, especially when presenting the proposed solutions. Its main limitation is incomplete task coverage: at only 170 words, it names inflation and government policy as causes without explaining how either raises fares. The highest priority is to develop each cause with a clear mechanism or example while retaining the concise solution discussion.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both questions, but the causes are merely identified and the substantial shortfall in length leaves the task insufficiently developed.
Explain separately how inflation and government policy increase transport costs, using a concrete mechanism or example for each.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress clearly through the problem, solutions, and conclusion, with effective paragraphing and generally natural linking.
Add a dedicated paragraph developing the causes so that the organisational balance reflects both parts of the question.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and precise, with effective phrases such as financial pressure, targeted subsidies, and sustainable options.
Extend the same lexical precision to the causes by naming specific costs, funding decisions, or policy effects.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, and the response is virtually free of grammatical errors.
Maintain this high level of control while adding more complex causal explanations and supporting detail.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The cost of public transport has been rapidly rising over the past decade. What are the reasons for this? What are some possible solutions?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.