Many old buildings protected by law are part of a nation’s history. Some people think they should be knocked down and replaced by news ones. How important is it to maintain old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress?
Sample Response
People believe that Deletein this world, nothing is constant but change. Hence, in every detail of our lives, even in basic areas such as infrastructure and housingon the simple aspect of infrastructures and housing, we expect change. Nowadays, the growing populationincreasing number of the population creates an urgent needhas drastic need to demolishdestroy old houses and buildrebuild new ones that are more suitable for them. Some believe that this change is inevitable and essential, while otherssome argue that historichistorical houses should be preserved to protect history. In this essay, I will explainenumerate the importance of preserving old houses or buildings and will then give my opinion on the matter. First and foremost, preserving historic buildingshistorical infrastructures is thought to be essential because they reflect our ancestryit mirrors our ancestry and culture. Maintaining themit will show that we valuedepict how we give importance to our heritage. For instance, the Ifugaos in Mountain ProvinceIfugaos on the Mountain Province still livelives in their old Nipa huts and refuse to adoptrefuses to adapt modern housing stylesthe modern style of houses. They argue that doing so will be a simple way to prove their love for their own culture. Moreover, maintaining old buildings will preserve cultural identitythe culture's identity. For instance, in some places in Malolos Bulacan, government officials encourage the people to preserve traditional Spanish style houses within the area. They point out that the place is well-known because of these houses and destroying themit might become harmful to our culture and would also affect tourism. In summary, there is no doubt that protecting old houses and buildings is indeed important. However, I believe that a little change will not be harmful. We should take into consideration the changes that occur in the environment and somehow learn how to adapt while preserving tracespreserving the trace of our history.
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response is strongest when explaining the cultural and tourism value of preserving historic buildings, using two relevant examples to support this case. Its main limitation is that the question about whether history should impede progress is addressed only briefly in the conclusion; the highest-priority improvement is to develop a separate, reasoned discussion of how preservation can be balanced with necessary redevelopment.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response presents a clear view on preservation and supports it with relevant examples, but gives limited development to the question of history obstructing progress.
Develop the second question in its own body paragraph by explaining when redevelopment is justified and how it can coexist with preservation.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress clearly through an introduction, two supporting examples, and a conclusion, although the two body paragraphs make closely overlapping points.
Give each body paragraph a distinct function, such as cultural value in one and the preservation-progress balance in the other.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a sufficient range of topic vocabulary, but several word choices and collocations, including uses of "infrastructures" and "adapt the modern style," are inaccurate.
Prioritise natural collocations such as "historic buildings," "population growth," and "adopt modern housing styles."
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of simple and complex structures communicates the argument clearly, despite recurring errors in agreement, articles, number, and pronoun reference.
Edit systematically for singular-plural agreement and matching pronouns, especially when referring to buildings, houses, and groups of people.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many old buildings protected by law are part of a nation’s history. Some people think they should be knocked down and replaced by news ones. How important is it to maintain old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.