Some cities have vehicle-free days when private cars, trucks, and motorcycles are banned from the city centre. People are encouraged to use public transportation such as buses, taxis, and metro on vehicle-free days. Do the advantages of having vehicle-free days outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
In numerous urban areas worldwide, the concept of vehicle-free days has become more common, resulting in restrictions onhas gained momentum, promoting the restriction of private cars, trucks, and motorcycles within city centres. On these days, citizens are urged to useutilize public transportation like buses, taxis, and metro services insteadmetros as an alternative. In my opinion, the advantages of this practice far outweigh the drawbacks it may have.
This approach may presentIt is undeniable that this approach may present several drawbacks. The inconvenience caused to individuals who heavily rely on private vehicles for commutingfor their daily commute could lead to dissatisfaction. Moreover, businesses that depend on transport and deliveriesdepend on deliveries or transportation for their operations might face logistical challenges, potentially impacting their productivity. For instance, courier companies tasked with timely deliveries of perishable goods or essential supplies to businesses across the cityvarious city businesses could encounter delays during vehicle-free days, affecting their ability to meet customer demands.
However, this practice brings several benefits. The primary advantage of vehicle-free days is the reduction of environmental pollutionlies in mitigating environmental pollution and reducing traffic congestion. By limiting the number of private vehicles traversing the city centre, harmful emissions decline substantiallythere is a substantial decline in harmful emissions, contributing to cleaner air and reduced noise pollution. Moreover, this temporary ban can alleviate traffic congestion, allowing easier movementproviding smoother movement for public transportation, cyclists, and pedestrians, thereby improving overall road safety. Finally,Finally and most importantly, it encourages some people to try public transportation or ride a bicycle which may change their attitude towards solely using private cars.
Based on the discussion, it can be inferred that the advantages of vehicle-free days significantly outweigh the disadvantages. The positive impact on the environment, public health and attitudesattitude, and reduced traffic congestion in city centres can lead to sustainable urban development.
In conclusion, while vehicle-free days may pose some minor inconveniences, their overarching benefits in terms of environmental sustainability, changing people's perceptions about using public transport, and reduced traffic congestion make them a worthwhile initiative for cities to adopt.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a clear comparative position and supports both sides with relevant, well-developed consequences, particularly the environmental and transport benefits. Its main limitation is some repetition near the end, where two concluding paragraphs restate similar points, alongside a few imprecise phrases. The highest-priority improvement is to consolidate the conclusion and sharpen the explanation of how the benefits decisively outweigh the practical drawbacks.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The question is fully addressed through a clear position, relevant discussion of both sides, and developed supporting examples.
Make the comparative judgment even more explicit by directly weighing the scale and duration of the benefits against the stated inconveniences.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically within well-focused body paragraphs, but the separate penultimate summary and final conclusion create avoidable repetition.
Use one concise concluding paragraph so the argument ends decisively without restating the same benefits twice.
Lexical Resource
A wide and generally precise vocabulary conveys environmental, logistical, and behavioural ideas effectively, with only occasional awkward phrasing.
Refine collocations such as references to public health and attitude so each abstract idea is expressed more precisely.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex sentence structures is used accurately, and the few minor lapses do not impede communication.
Polish relative-clause attachment and punctuation in longer sentences to make already strong grammatical control more exact.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some cities have vehicle-free days when private cars, trucks, and motorcycles are banned from the city centre. People are encouraged to use public transportation such as buses, taxis, and metro on vehicle-free days. Do the advantages of having vehicle-free days outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
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