Today, many people do not know their neighbors. Why is this? What can be done about this?
Sample Response
In recent years, it has become increasingly common for individuals to be less connected towith their immediate neighbors. In my opinion, this is largely a result of increasing social isolationa more insular society and can be somewhat alleviated through initiatives that encourage more community interaction.
The main reason that many residents today do not often speak with their neighbors is that the world is more physically isolated. In past generations, people were more accustomed to going outside and spending time talkingin the habit of going outside and occupying their time by talking with nearby residentsthose living nearby. Today, the rise of technology allows the average person to do a variety of activities online, includingactivities online including talking with friends, watching movies, playing computer games, and listening to music. These habits now occupy the much of a person's timevast majority of a person’s time and there is less need to interactno longer a need to interact with one’s neighbor to relieve boredom or gain a sense of connectionout of boredom or a feeling of connection.
This modern tendency can be addressed through more communal activitiescountered by more communal activities. Since there is no reversing technological advancement, it must be countered through proactive measures. An example of this would be a local government organizing a festival or musical performance in a park. Neighbors who meet at such events are likely to form connections and remain in contact afterwardthereafter remain in contact as either casual acquaintances or closeactual friends. If governments are unwilling to undertake such initiatives, then local citizens can also organize various events. The result over time will be a gradual thawing of relations between neighbors.
In conclusion, the way people live today leads to less interaction with one’s neighbors and this phenomenon can be mitigated with more community events. If nothing is done, society will only become more fractured and alienating.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its direct, logically developed treatment of both the cause and a practical solution, supported by a clear community-event example. The main limitation is that the explanation relies on one broad account of technological isolation and repeats the idea of countering it. To improve further, add a more nuanced causal link and vary phrasing while preserving the essay’s concise progression.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions are answered directly with a well-developed cause, a feasible solution, and relevant explanation and illustration.
Deepen the causal analysis by briefly distinguishing technological habits from the broader social isolation they create.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress clearly through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader without disrupting the argument.
Reduce the close repetition of the idea that the tendency must be countered by varying the transition into the solution paragraph.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise vocabulary conveys the argument naturally, with effective choices such as insular, proactive, and mitigated.
Refine the few broad expressions, especially the claim that the world is physically isolated, to make the meaning still more exact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with sentences remaining controlled and easy to read.
Maintain this accuracy while experimenting with slightly more varied sentence openings and patterns of emphasis.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Today, many people do not know their neighbors. Why is this? What can be done about this?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.