Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Sample Response
There are different opinions on whether visitors should comply with local traditions or the localslocal traditions, or the locals should accept foreign lifestyles. In my opinion, the host country should welcome different beliefs and cultural practicesnew patterns of belief and culture.
On the one hand, there are several reasons why some people think tourists should adhere to local customsadhere to the new customs. Firstly, such adherence would enable them to integrate more easily and quickly into the new environment. For example, if a person from the US understood table manners or learnt how to use chopsticks, he would have familiarized himself with Vietnamese tradition after a few days. Secondly, following the customs of the new country would help them avoidhelp in avoiding social conflicts and, sometimes, hostility. A sense of isolation and loneliness could be the price paid by thosethe price for those who refuse to adapt to the new environment.
On the other hand, I would argue that the host country should accept tourists’ culturesthe culture of the tourists. Cultures differ considerablyCulture diverges tremendously across different countries and regions, depending on their historical backgrounds. Therefore, it is rather absurd to compel tourists to comply with the host country’s way of lifethe new country’s lifestyles. Besides, such cultural flexibilitybeing flexible would be a powerful way to develop the host country’s tourism industry. On being allowed to behave according to their cultural standards, visitors would feel respected and satisfied. Also of great significance is their recommendation to their friends and relatives to travel to those places, leading to the growth of tourism.
In conclusion, I would agree with the people who support the idea of appreciating cultural differencesappreciating new culture.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay presents both perspectives clearly, maintains an explicit opinion, and develops each side with relevant consequences and examples. Its main limitation is occasional lexical and grammatical awkwardness, particularly when referring to cultures and in the conditional example, although meaning remains clear. The highest-priority improvement is to use more precise cultural terminology and ensure tense relationships are accurate in complex sentences.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are explored in a balanced, relevant way, and the writer’s position is clear throughout.
Develop the final opinion slightly further by briefly restating why cultural acceptance outweighs compulsory adaptation.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is logically sequenced, with effective paragraphing and smooth progression within each viewpoint.
Use a less formulaic transition into the opposing view while preserving the clear contrast.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and suitably academic, though a few expressions about culture and recommendation are imprecise or unnatural.
Choose more exact collocations, such as ‘cultural practices’ and ‘recommend the destination’, in place of vague or nominalised phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence structures is used with strong control, with only occasional non-impeding errors.
Correct the tense sequence in hypothetical examples so conditional relationships are expressed consistently.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.