According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world- wide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction. How far do you agree with this opinion?
Sample Response
It is evident that, at present, people are spending a considerable amount of time on the Internet, and therefore spend less timeand thus spending less time with real people. I strongly agree that although this use of the Internet has greatly increased the level of communication available, it has also had detrimental effects on the frequency and qualityamount and type of social interaction that takes place. The benefits of the Internet in terms of increased communication are clear, with people connected across the globe. In the past, communication was only possible by phone or mail, which entailed time and expense. It also usually meant just keeping in contact with people they already knewthose people already known to you. With the Internetinternet, this has changed dramatically. Email and social networking sites such as Facebook and MSN have created online communities that are global in scale, and they have fostered communication among people in different countriesbetween people and countries that we would not have thought possible in the not too distant past. That said, there is no doubt in my mind that this has had negative impacts on social interaction. People, especially the younger generation, spend hourshours of their time online, chatting and participating in forumsonline, chatting and on forums. Although this can be beneficial, it is certainly not the same as real interaction with human beings and does not involve the same skills. It is important that children have and maintain real friendships in order to develop their own interpersonal skills. MoreoverNot only this, it can also have negative effects on local communities if people are spending most of their time communicating online and not mixing in their neighbourhoods, and possibly lead to feelings of isolation for those individuals who do not have a ‘real’ person to turn to in times of need. To conclude, I believe that the internet has undoubtedly been beneficial, but there are good reasons to be concerned about social interaction in our societies. It is therefore important that we maintain a balance between our online liveslife and our contact with real human beings.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response gives a clear, nuanced position and develops both the communicative benefits of the Internet and the risks to face-to-face relationships with precise, fluent language. Its main limitation is presentation as a single undivided paragraph, which obscures the otherwise strong progression from benefits to concerns and conclusion. The highest priority is to separate these stages into purposeful paragraphs while preserving the effective logical links.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is explicit and consistent, and both the acknowledged benefits and the concerns about social interaction are well developed.
Strengthen the argument further by adding a more concrete illustration of how reduced face-to-face contact affects a community or individual.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically and cohesive devices guide the reader effectively, but the entire response is presented without paragraph divisions.
Separate the introduction, benefits, social drawbacks, and conclusion into clear paragraphs with distinct purposes.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is broad, precise, and natural, with effective control of language for communication, community, and interpersonal effects.
Refine the few slightly repetitive references to communication and social interaction by varying precise topic-specific phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled accurately, with only occasional awkward coordination or reference.
Polish long sentences by checking that each coordinated clause has a clear subject and parallel grammatical structure.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world- wide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction. How far do you agree with this opinion?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.