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 these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
It is always debatable whether visitors should follow local customs and behaviour or the country should be accustomed to cultural differences. At first, I would like to discuss following local customs and behaviour. As a human being, we have consciousness which helps us to decide what is right or wrong that we apply in every sphere of our life. But everybody may not apply consciousness or may not have the same level of consciousness to apply. If one does not follow local customs, he/she may not be taken warmly by people of that country. Due to this reason, I believe that everybody who visits other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Beside this, local customs and behaviour are mostly regulated by the religion of the country which is very sensitive to most people. That is why I agree with the view of following local customs and behaviour. In the other hand, there are many reasons to agree with the second view that the host country should welcome cultural differences. It is universally true that the civilisation is evolving from the beginning of mankind and the main reason behind this is that people are travelling from one place to another to explore the world which brings new cultures to new places. If one fails to welcome cultural differences, he/she will not be able to cope with cultures of other countries. This will impact the economy in terms of tourism and modernization as well as evaluation of civilisation. A good example of welcoming cultural differences is Malaysia. People of western countries are travelling to Malaysia and most of them are not used to follow local customs and being a Muslim country, Malaysia also providing freedom to visitors until laws are broken. Malaysia has become an example for other countries to welcome cultural differences. That is why cultural differences should always be welcomed until it hurts your philosophy or religion.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use accommodate differences Original: the country should be accustomed to cultural differences Suggested revision: the host country should accommodate cultural differences Why it matters: A country accommodates differences; accustomed describes someone familiar with something.
- 2. Clarify discussion topic Original: discuss following local customs Suggested revision: discuss the need to follow local customs Why it matters: The noun phrase clearly identifies the position being discussed.
- 3. Clarify partial negation Original: everybody may not apply consciousness Suggested revision: not everybody may exercise good judgment Why it matters: Not everybody correctly expresses partial negation, and exercise judgment is the natural collocation.
- 4. Use capacity phrase Original: same level of consciousness to apply Suggested revision: same capacity to exercise it Why it matters: The revision avoids repeating apply consciousness and states the varying ability clearly.
- 5. Use received collocation Original: he/she may not be taken warmly Suggested revision: they may not be warmly received Why it matters: Warmly received is the natural passive expression, and singular they avoids the slash form.
- 6. Use location preposition Original: of Suggested revision: in Why it matters: In correctly identifies where the people live.
- 7. Use concise result link Original: Due to this reason Suggested revision: For this reason Why it matters: For this reason is the conventional connector and avoids redundant due to.
- 8. Use visitor phrase Original: everybody who visits other countries Suggested revision: all visitors to other countries Why it matters: The concise noun phrase states the same group more directly.
- 9. Use addition connector Original: Beside this Suggested revision: Besides Why it matters: Besides is the adverb meaning in addition, whereas beside refers to physical position.
- 10. Use shaped-by collocation Original: regulated Suggested revision: shaped Why it matters: Religious beliefs may shape customs, while regulate incorrectly implies formal control.
- 11. Clarify sensitivity relation Original: which is very sensitive to most people Suggested revision: a matter to which many people are sensitive Why it matters: People are sensitive to a matter; the original relative clause reverses that relationship.
- 12. Correct contrast phrase Original: In Suggested revision: On Why it matters: On the other hand is the fixed contrastive transition.
Suggested Rewrites
- the country should be accustomed to cultural differences the host country should accommodate cultural differences
- discuss following local customs discuss the need to follow local customs
- everybody may not apply consciousness not everybody may exercise good judgment
- same level of consciousness to apply same capacity to exercise it
- he/she may not be taken warmly they may not be warmly received
- of in
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response engages with both positions and gives relevant reasons involving social acceptance, religious sensitivity, cultural development, tourism, and Malaysia. Its main limitation is an unclear overall judgement: it first strongly supports conformity and later endorses cultural differences within vaguely defined limits, without a conclusion that reconciles these views. The highest priority is to state a balanced position explicitly and organise each view in a separate paragraph with a final synthesis.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views receive relevant discussion and an example, but the writer's final opinion is not clearly reconciled and several claims remain broad or vague.
Argue explicitly that visitors should respect essential laws and customs while hosts tolerate harmless differences, then define those limits clearly.
Coherence and Cohesion
The discussion moves from following customs to accepting differences, but the absence of paragraphing and a concluding synthesis weakens progression and cohesion.
Use an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a conclusion that combines the two positions into one clear judgement.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary covers culture, religion, tourism, and social change, but frequent repetition and inaccurate choices such as 'taken warmly' reduce precision.
Use natural expressions such as 'welcomed by local people', 'respect local customs', 'cultural exchange', and 'within legal limits'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response attempts complex structures, but frequent errors in articles, verb forms, agreement, prepositions, and clause construction weaken accuracy.
Rewrite long sentences around one clear main clause, then check auxiliary verbs, articles, and prepositions before adding supporting clauses.
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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 these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.