In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there. What is your opinion about this?
Sample Response
The issue of building new homes in the countryside, which is often the only space available for further housingspace left for building more houses, is contentious. There is indeed a pressing need for new housing in many areas, but preserving rural landscapes must also be consideredthe preservation of rural landscapes is also important. In my opinion, it is essential to leave the countryside intact.
To begin with, the countryside is not just a picturesque backdrop; it serves vital ecological and agricultural functions. The destruction of natural habitats and farmland can have far-reaching consequences for local ecosystems and food production. For instance, agricultural expansion is a major driver of deforestation and other environmental damageother ecological destruction, destroying habitats and reducing biodiversitydecimating habitats and biodiversity. One example is the displacement of lowland forests in Indonesia due to oil palm cultivationand the damage caused, and the damage caused to the Cerrado and Atlantic Forests of Brazil and Paraguay bythrough soy production. These unsustainable farming practices and the loss of forests result in severe erosion.
Moreover, the rural landscape is an integral part of our cultural heritage and identity. It is therefore crucial that any development in these areas is undertaken with great care and sensitivity. In Italy, rural landscapes are highly significant as part ofhold great significance as a part of the country's cultural heritage. As a result, the authorities have implemented measures to safeguard and promote these landscapes as valuable resources. The approach involves preserving physical locations, sharing knowledge, managing them sustainably, communicating effectively, and transmitting associated heritage valuespreserving physical locations, sharing knowledge, sustainable management, effective communication, and the transmission of associated heritage values. Unfortunately, constructing additional buildings to support the growing population would undermine these initiativesmake these initiatives unfeasible.
In conclusion, while there is a clear need for new homes in many areas to support the growing population, it is essential that we do not sacrifice the countryside in the process.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a firm, consistent position and develops ecological and cultural reasons in polished, well-organised language. Its main limitation is evidential relevance: examples about palm-oil and soy agriculture demonstrate environmental damage but do not directly show the effects of building homes. Replace the agricultural case with housing-specific evidence about habitat loss, farmland reduction, infrastructure expansion, or rural heritage to make the argument fully persuasive.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear and supported by two substantial reasons, but the principal environmental examples concern agricultural expansion rather than the proposed housing development.
Use a directly relevant example showing how new residential construction would damage farmland, habitats, or rural character.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is logically sequenced and purposefully paragraphed, with smooth progression from environmental functions to cultural heritage and conclusion.
Use a concise transition from the ecological argument to the cultural argument.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is extensive, precise, and naturally controlled across environmental, agricultural, and cultural topics, with strong collocational accuracy.
Maintain this precision while tailoring technical vocabulary more closely to housing development and land-use planning.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sophisticated structures is used accurately and flexibly, with virtually no grammatical errors across the response.
Preserve this control while ensuring introductory material is integrated as a complete sentence rather than left as an editorial fragment.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there. What is your opinion about this?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.