Many people prefer to live in small towns while others prefer to live in big cities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town and in a big city? Where would you prefer to live?
Sample Response
Nowadays, many young people want to live in a big city. They think living in a big city can giveliving in big cities will give them greaterbig opportunities to get a better education and job. However, some other people like to live in a small town that is less crowded than big cities. On the one hand, living in a big city is not a bad idea. In big cities, there are many well-regardeda number of popular schools which havehas not only good teachers but also well-equipped facilitiesgood facilities to educate the younger generationeducate young generation. Furthermore, when children grow up and want to find a job, they have a better chance to secure suitable employmentget a job they want. For example, if there are two people looking for a job in a company, the employer may preferthe employee will consider the one who graduated from a popular school in a big city rather than the otherthe other one who graduated from an ordinary school in a small town. Despite these benefitsOn the other hand, big cities are very crowded and crime rates are highermore crimes occur in big cities. In addition, small towns are less polluted than big cities, so people can enjoy the beautiful scenery and the fresh air there. If young people wantIf the children want to get a degree or a job in cities, they can study or work there while living in a small town. For instance, if I want to work in a big city, I can work there on weekdays and spend my weekendsenjoy my weekend at my home in a small town. To sum up, in my opinion, livingin my opinion living in a small town is better than living in a big city. Even though big cities are better in some aspects, small towns are stillsmall towns still are the best place to live for me.
Why this response received Band 6.0
The essay presents a clear preference for small-town life and identifies relevant contrasts involving education, employment, congestion, crime, pollution and scenery. Its organisation is easy to follow, but the advantages and disadvantages of each location are not developed evenly, and one employment example is questionable. Add balanced, specific support for both settings and correct recurring agreement and article errors.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
All parts are addressed, though coverage is uneven and some claims are simplistic.
Develop at least one advantage and disadvantage for each location before stating the preference.
Coherence and Cohesion
The contrast markers create a clear basic progression, but paragraphing is not visible.
Organise one body paragraph around cities and another around small towns.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate but repetitive and occasionally imprecise.
Use employment prospects, amenities, congestion, cost of living and environment.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning remains clear despite regular agreement, article and comparative errors.
Check subject-verb agreement and articles around singular count nouns.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many people prefer to live in small towns while others prefer to live in big cities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town and in a big city? Where would you prefer to live?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.