Nowadays, the traditions and customs relating to the food we eat and the way we eat are changing. Why is this happening? Do you think this kind of change is positive or negative?
Sample Response
In contemporary times, the traditions and customs associated with our dietary choices and eating habits are undergoing significant transformations. These transformations can be attributed to several interconnected factors. While these changes hold both positive and negative aspects, I firmly believe that, on balance, they offer substantial benefits.
One primary driver of these shifts is globalisation. The modern world is more interconnected than ever before, with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds frequently interacting. This interaction has led to a cross-pollination of culinary traditions and the incorporation of new ingredients and cooking techniques into local diets. For instance, the popularity of sushi, originally from Japan, has soared in Western countries, showcasing the global exchange of culinary practices.
Moreover, changing lifestyles and demographics have also played a pivotal role in altering food customs. Urbanisation, hectic work schedules, and the rise of single-person households have led to increased demand for convenience foods and dining out. Consequently, traditional family meals may become less frequent, potentially diminishing cultural food rituals associated with communal dining.
While these transformations pose challenges to the preservation of some food traditions, they also offer several advantages. The fusion of culinary practices from different cultures can enrich the gastronomic landscape, providing individuals with a wider array of flavours and culinary experiences. Moreover, the embrace of convenience foods can enhance efficiency in our fast-paced lives.
In conclusion, the evolving traditions and customs related to food are driven by globalisation, changing lifestyles, and demographic shifts. While these changes may sometimes challenge the preservation of certain cultural food practices, they also bring opportunities for culinary enrichment and greater convenience. Overall, these transformations reflect the dynamic nature of our society and can be viewed as a positive adaptation to our evolving world.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use concise time phrasing Original: In contemporary times Suggested revision: Today Why it matters: A shorter time expression makes the opening more direct.
- 2. Prefer concrete wording Original: dietary Suggested revision: food Why it matters: 'Food choices' expresses the same idea in clearer, less abstract language.
- 3. Reduce nominal style Original: undergoing significant transformations Suggested revision: changing significantly Why it matters: The verb-led alternative is more concise while preserving the meaning.
- 4. Correct the collocation Original: hold Suggested revision: have Why it matters: Changes 'have' aspects; they do not normally 'hold' them in this sense.
- 5. Use precise wording Original: a cross-pollination of culinary traditions Suggested revision: an exchange of culinary traditions Why it matters: 'Exchange' communicates the cultural interaction more directly than the metaphor.
- 6. Remove duplicate addition marker Original: changing lifestyles and demographics have also played Suggested revision: changing lifestyles and demographics have played Why it matters: 'Moreover' already marks addition, so 'also' is unnecessary here.
- 7. Improve parallel wording Original: increased demand for convenience foods and dining out Suggested revision: greater demand for convenience foods and restaurant meals Why it matters: The revision coordinates two noun phrases more smoothly.
- 8. Use a stronger verb Original: pose challenges to the preservation of Suggested revision: threaten the preservation of Why it matters: A direct verb makes this contrast more concise.
- 9. Avoid repeated wording Original: culinary Suggested revision: dining Why it matters: 'Dining' avoids repeating 'culinary' while retaining the intended meaning.
- 10. Use natural phrasing Original: the embrace of convenience foods Suggested revision: using convenience foods Why it matters: The gerund phrase is less abstract and more idiomatic in this context.
- 11. State the benefit directly Original: enhance efficiency in our fast-paced lives Suggested revision: save time in our fast-paced lives Why it matters: This wording expresses the claimed practical benefit more concretely.
- 12. Use precise collocation Original: bring Suggested revision: create Why it matters: 'Create opportunities' is the more natural collocation here.
Suggested Rewrites
- In contemporary times Today
- dietary food
- undergoing significant transformations changing significantly
- hold have
- a cross-pollination of culinary traditions an exchange of culinary traditions
- changing lifestyles and demographics have also played changing lifestyles and demographics have played
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its clear structure, assured position, and relevant explanation of globalisation and lifestyle change, supported by a well-chosen example. Its main limitation is that the positive evaluation is somewhat less developed than the account of causes, with convenience treated briefly. The highest-priority improvement is to deepen the evaluation of benefits and trade-offs before reaffirming the positive judgment.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions are answered directly with a clear position and well-developed, relevant reasons and examples.
Extend the evaluation of convenience and culinary diversity to demonstrate more fully why the benefits outweigh the cultural costs.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is logically sequenced, cohesively linked, and divided into purposeful paragraphs with clear progression.
Reduce minor repetition of key framing words such as ‘transformations’ to make progression even more seamless.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural, with effective topic-specific expressions used throughout.
Refine occasional abstract phrasing by choosing the most direct term where several elevated expressions cluster together.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence forms is used accurately and flexibly with strong punctuation control.
Maintain this accuracy while varying sentence openings further to enhance stylistic flexibility.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Nowadays, the traditions and customs relating to the food we eat and the way we eat are changing. Why is this happening? Do you think this kind of change is positive or negative?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.