You have approximately 40 minutes to complete this task. You need to write an essay addressing the topic below Nowadays people use bicycles less as a form of transport. Why is this the case? What can we do to encourage people to use bicycles more? Your essay should comprise a minimum of 250 words.
Sample Response
In recent yearstimes, people have been using bicycles less as a means of transporta primary form of transportation. This essay will discuss the reasons for this decline and propose measures to encourage more people to use bicycles.
One reason for the decline in bicycle use is the lack of adequate cycling infrastructurelack of proper infrastructure. Many cities lack dedicated bicycle lanes and secure parking facilities, making cycling inconvenient and unsafe. For instance, in Ho Chi Minh City, the absence of continuous bike lanes often forces cyclists to share the road with fast-moving motorbikes and cars, increasing the risk of accidents. Another factor is urban sprawl, which leads to longer commutes that are too long to make by bicyclecommutes that are impractical by bicycle. In Hanoi, many residents live far from their workplaces due to rapid suburban development, making daily bicycle commuting difficultmaking it challenging to rely on bicycles for daily commuting.
To increase bicycle usage, one solution is to improve infrastructure. Cities should build more dedicated bicycle lanes and provide secure parking facilities. In Da Nang, the city has made effortsefforts have been made to create bike lanes along the Han River, encouraging more people to cycle. However, these initiatives need to be extendedexpanded nationwide. Another solution is to implement bicycle-friendly policies. Governments can offer subsidies for bicycle purchases and introduceenforce congestion pricing for cars in city centers. In Ho Chi Minh City, the government could follow the example of European cities by providing financial incentives to purchase electric bicyclesfinancial incentives for purchasing electric bicycles and creating car-free zones in downtown areas to make cycling a more attractive option.
In conclusion, the decline in bicycle usage is primarily due to inadequate infrastructure and urban sprawl. By improving infrastructure and implementing supportive policies, cities can encourage more people to cycleincentivize more people to embrace cycling as a sustainable and healthy mode of transportation.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response answers both parts directly and develops a balanced set of causes and solutions through clear, specific examples and highly controlled language. Its main limitation is some repetition of infrastructure-related wording, while a few examples are described more than analysed. The highest-priority improvement is to extend the causal explanation showing exactly how each proposed policy would change commuters’ choices.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both causes and solutions are fully addressed through relevant, well-developed ideas and specific city-based examples.
Explain the behavioural effect of subsidies, congestion pricing, and car-free zones more explicitly to deepen the solution analysis.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay has clear paragraph purposes, logical sequencing, and cohesive links that guide the reader without obscuring progression.
Vary the internal organisation of the solution paragraph so repeated “another solution” phrasing feels less mechanical.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is broad and precise, with effective topic language for infrastructure, urban development, incentives, and sustainability.
Reduce repetition of “infrastructure,” “bicycle,” and “encourage” by using concise referencing where the meaning remains clear.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex and simple structures are combined accurately throughout, with consistently clear punctuation and sentence control.
For further refinement, vary the opening structures of supporting sentences while preserving the current accuracy.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
You have approximately 40 minutes to complete this task. You need to write an essay addressing the topic below Nowadays people use bicycles less as a form of transport. Why is this the case? What can we do to encourage people to use bicycles more? Your essay should comprise a minimum of 250 words.
Your response
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