In the past, many people had skills such as making their own clothes and doing repairs to things in the house. In many countries, nowadays, skills like these are disappearing. Why do you think this is happening? How far is this situation true in your country?
Sample Response
Many years ago people used to make everything themselves and from scratch. Everyone's main duties included building a home, working in the field, cooking and making clothes. Most of the jobs we know today did not exist. There were no lawyers, bankers, journalists and many more. Nowadays, however, it's different. With the introduction of technology in our daily lives and in the production of many goods, the world has changed. People no longer learn how to make their own clothes or repair their houses. In modern days you either hire someone to do the job for you or use technology. As for clothes and food, you can just pop to the nearest shopping centre and find everything you need. In my country, things are more or less the same. It's not common for people, especially younger ones to have skills like these. Some years ago kids were taught how to sew and use machinery at school but this does not happen anymore. Of course, there are people who still know how to make things by themselves but they are usually doing it because they have no other choice - they either live in the countryside or are not particularly wealthy. In general, I believe that less and fewer people rely on themselves to do such work. It is a good thing that nowadays everything is so easy to get and technology is so advanced but thinks about it - if all of our machines broke, who would know how to do their job?
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Punctuate introductory phrase Original: Many years ago people Suggested revision: Many years ago, people Why it matters: A comma should follow the introductory time phrase.
- 2. Use standard time phrase Original: In modern days Suggested revision: Nowadays Why it matters: Nowadays is the standard expression for the present period.
- 3. Avoid generic second person Original: you Suggested revision: people Why it matters: A general plural subject is more appropriate for formal academic writing.
- 4. Use formal wording Original: just pop to the nearest shopping centre Suggested revision: simply go to the nearest shopping centre Why it matters: Go to is more appropriate than the informal pop to in an academic essay.
- 5. Close the parenthetical phrase Original: especially younger ones to have Suggested revision: especially younger ones, to have Why it matters: A comma is needed after the parenthetical phrase about younger people.
- 6. Use formal noun Original: kids Suggested revision: children Why it matters: Children is more appropriate than kids in formal writing.
- 7. Use concise time phrasing Original: but this does not happen anymore Suggested revision: but this no longer happens Why it matters: No longer happens expresses the change more concisely and formally.
- 8. Use simple present Original: they are usually doing it Suggested revision: they usually do so Why it matters: The simple present suits this general habit, and do so avoids repetition.
- 9. Use countable comparison Original: less Suggested revision: fewer Why it matters: People is countable, and fewer and fewer is the correct pattern for a continuing decline.
- 10. Correct imperative verb Original: thinks Suggested revision: think Why it matters: The imperative uses the base form think.
- 11. Remove redundant coordination Original: everything themselves and from scratch Suggested revision: everything themselves from scratch Why it matters: The conjunction is unnecessary because both phrases describe how people made things.
- 12. Avoid contraction Original: it's different Suggested revision: it is different Why it matters: The full form is more appropriate in formal academic writing.
Suggested Rewrites
- Many years ago people Many years ago, people
- In modern days Nowadays
- you people
- just pop to the nearest shopping centre simply go to the nearest shopping centre
- especially younger ones to have especially younger ones, to have
- kids children
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response answers both questions clearly, linking the decline of practical skills to technology, specialist services, easy access to goods, and changes in schooling, while explaining that the pattern is widespread in the writer's country. Its main limitations are one-block organisation, a few sweeping historical claims, and some informal or inaccurate wording. Prioritise focused paragraphs and deeper explanation of the strongest causes with precise examples from the country discussed.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both the causes and the extent of the trend in the writer's country are addressed, though development is fairly general and some historical claims are unsupported.
Focus on technology, affordability, and education, explaining each cause with a concrete contemporary example from the writer's country.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response has a clear overall sequence from past to present and then national experience, but the absence of paragraphs weakens organisation.
Separate the historical context, reasons for the decline, national extent, and final reflection into distinct paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is sufficiently varied and generally natural, although a few informal expressions and inaccurate combinations reduce academic precision.
Replace pop to the shops, more or less the same, and less and fewer people with more formal, accurate alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of structures is mostly controlled, with occasional errors in punctuation, comparison forms, and verb choice that do not obstruct meaning.
Check comparative quantifiers and commands, using fewer people and think about it, and punctuate parenthetical phrases clearly.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In the past, many people had skills such as making their own clothes and doing repairs to things in the house. In many countries, nowadays, skills like these are disappearing. Why do you think this is happening? How far is this situation true in your country?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.