Nowadays, the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology. In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make? Has this become a positive or negative development?
Sample Response
In the modern era, technology has profoundly transformed the way individuals communicate and maintain relationships. From instant messaging apps to social media platforms, digital tools have reshaped the nature, frequency, and depth of human interactions and relationships. In my opinion, these changes promote global connectivity and convenience, and overall, this is a positive development, despite a few drawbacks.
Technology has reshaped not just how people communicate, but also the types of relationships they form. In the past, relationships were often limited to local communities, family circles, or workplace settings. Today, however, technology enables individuals to build virtual connections with people they may never meet in person. For instance, social media platforms facilitate parasocial relationships with influencers or online communities based on shared interests, rather than physical proximity. Professional networking has also evolved, with platforms like LinkedIn allowing people to establish connections with global contacts, often without any prior face-to-face interaction. Additionally, romantic relationships increasingly begin online through dating apps, changing the dynamics of how partners meet and interact. These shifts have created new forms of social interaction that are largely digital, often more flexible, but sometimes less emotionally intimate.
In my opinion, these changes promote global connectivity and convenience, and overall, this is a highly positive development, despite a few drawbacks. The ability to maintain instant communication with friends, family, or colleagues across the globe has enhanced both personal and professional relationships. For example, international students can easily stay connected with their families through video calls, reducing the emotional strain of being far from home. Similarly, businesses benefit from real-time collaboration with partners and clients worldwide, making operations faster and more efficient. Technology has also allowed people with disabilities or social anxiety to form meaningful connections online, which they might find difficult in traditional face-to-face settings.
In conclusion, while technological advances in communication do present certain challenges, I believe their impact on relationships is largely positive. When used responsibly, modern technology can enrich human connections and promote greater understanding across cultures and distances.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use precise relationship verb Original: maintain Suggested revision: sustain Why it matters: “Sustain” more precisely conveys keeping relationships active over time.
- 2. Remove semantic overlap Original: human interactions and relationships Suggested revision: human relationships Why it matters: “Interactions” and “relationships” overlap here, making the list less concise.
- 3. Use natural collocation Original: build virtual connections Suggested revision: form online connections Why it matters: “Form connections” is a more natural collocation, while “online” is more precise than “virtual.”
- 4. Clarify global contacts Original: global contacts Suggested revision: professionals worldwide Why it matters: The revision identifies the people being connected with more precisely.
- 5. Reduce wordiness Original: changing the dynamics of how Suggested revision: changing how Why it matters: The shorter phrase preserves the meaning and makes the sentence more direct.
- 6. Use consistent category term Original: forms Suggested revision: types Why it matters: “Types” links more directly to the question’s focus and avoids repeating “forms” after “form.”
- 7. Use concise expression Original: maintain instant communication Suggested revision: communicate instantly Why it matters: The verb phrase states the same idea more directly and naturally.
- 8. Improve parallel structure Original: making operations faster and more efficient Suggested revision: speeding up operations and improving efficiency Why it matters: The parallel verb phrases distinguish operational speed from efficiency more clearly.
- 9. Use precise enabling verb Original: allowed Suggested revision: enabled Why it matters: “Enabled” expresses technology’s role in making these connections possible more precisely.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: For instance, social media platforms facilitate parasocial relationships with influencers or online communities based on shared interests, rather than physical proximity. Suggested revision: For instance, social media platforms facilitate parasocial relationships with influencers and connections within online communities based on shared interests rather than physical proximity. Why it matters: The original incorrectly groups relationships with influencers and participation in online communities under the single term “parasocial relationships.”
- 11. Remove repeated thesis Suggested revision: Open this paragraph directly with the communication benefits, since its first sentence repeats the thesis from the introduction. Why it matters: Removing the repeated position statement would create a more efficient progression from the preceding analysis to the supporting benefits.
Suggested Rewrites
- maintain sustain
- human interactions and relationships human relationships
- build virtual connections form online connections
- global contacts professionals worldwide
- changing the dynamics of how changing how
- forms types
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its precise, well-organised analysis of how technology has created virtual, professional, romantic, and more accessible relationships, supported by relevant examples. The main limitation is mild repetition of the position and relatively brief treatment of the drawbacks it acknowledges. To improve further, integrate one carefully developed qualification into the evaluation and remove repeated thesis wording so that every sentence advances the argument.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully answers both questions with a clear positive position, well-developed relationship types, and relevant supporting examples.
Deepen the evaluation by explaining one acknowledged drawback and why the stated benefits still outweigh it.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader smoothly despite some repetition of the thesis.
Remove the repeated opinion sentence at the start of the third paragraph and use that space to extend the evaluation.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise vocabulary is used flexibly for social, professional, and digital relationships with consistently natural collocation.
Refine the few broad evaluative phrases by choosing wording that more precisely distinguishes convenience from relationship quality.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled accurately, with well-controlled punctuation and only negligible lapses.
Maintain this control while varying the openings of longer sentences to make the prose even more stylistically flexible.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Nowadays, the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology. In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make? Has this become a positive or negative development?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.