In the past, buildings often reflected the culture of a society but today all modern buildings look alike and cities throughout the world are becoming more and more similar. What do you think is the reason for this, and is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Sample Response
Every city has its architectural character, but the similarities between cities are more obvious these days than in the past. In my opinion, one reason for this is the high price of land.
In most large cities, land is scarce and consequently it is very valuable. This has led to the construction of tall buildings which occupy only a small area of land while providing lots of floor space where people can live or work. Buildings of this type are made of concrete and steel and can be built comparatively quickly using prefabricated materials. They do not use local materials, such as stone, timber or brick, which used to give cities their individual character. In consequence many cities. now look very much the same and you might not know whether you were in Brisbane, Bangkok or Berlin when you are on the street.
While I realise that we cannot stand in the way of progress, I believe that cities should try to keep some individuality. For example, in Paris it is prohibited to build very tall buildings in the centre of the city, as this would spoil the overall appearance of the skyline. Other cities have chosen to design unique buildings to ensure they look different. The twin towers in Kuala Lumpur or the Opera House in Sydney are examples of this approach, and I agree with this kind of initiative.
All in all, although it is regrettable that modem cities look similar, I tend to feel that this is unavoidable. However, it can be argued that, even if the buildings are similar, cities will maintain their own character as a result of cultural diversity, the terrain and the climate, which ultimately determine how people live.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify distinctiveness Original: architectural character Suggested revision: distinctive architectural character Why it matters: The added adjective makes the intended contrast between cities more explicit.
- 2. Use natural collocation Original: price Suggested revision: cost Why it matters: “Cost of land” is the more natural collocation in this context.
- 3. Use concise phrasing Original: occupy only a small area of land Suggested revision: occupy a relatively small footprint Why it matters: “Footprint” expresses the amount of land occupied more concisely.
- 4. Use formal wording Original: lots of floor space Suggested revision: considerable floor space Why it matters: “Considerable” is more appropriate than the informal “lots of” in an academic essay.
- 5. Tighten reference Original: Buildings of this type Suggested revision: Such buildings Why it matters: This shorter reference links the sentence more smoothly to the preceding description.
- 6. Use precise adverb Original: comparatively Suggested revision: relatively Why it matters: “Relatively” more naturally signals comparison with other construction methods.
- 7. Strengthen verb choice Original: keep Suggested revision: preserve Why it matters: “Preserve” expresses the idea of protecting an existing urban identity more precisely.
- 8. Clarify pronoun reference Original: to ensure they look different Suggested revision: to give the cities a distinctive appearance Why it matters: Naming the cities removes ambiguity about what “they” refers to.
- 9. Match plural examples Original: this kind of initiative Suggested revision: such initiatives Why it matters: The plural noun refers more accurately to the multiple examples just given.
- 10. Correct spelling Original: modem Suggested revision: modern Why it matters: “Modem” is a spelling error for “modern” in this context.
- 11. Reduce unnecessary hedging Original: it can be argued that, even if the buildings are similar, cities will maintain Suggested revision: even if their buildings are similar, cities may maintain Why it matters: Removing the impersonal hedge makes the final qualification more direct and cohesive.
- 12. Sentence rewrite Original: In consequence many cities. now look very much the same and you might not know whether you were in Brisbane, Bangkok or Berlin when you are on the street. Suggested revision: Consequently, many cities now look so similar that a person walking along their streets might not know whether they were in Brisbane, Bangkok, or Berlin. Why it matters: This revision fixes the misplaced full stop and keeps the person and hypothetical tense consistent.
Suggested Rewrites
- architectural character distinctive architectural character
- price cost
- occupy only a small area of land occupy a relatively small footprint
- lots of floor space considerable floor space
- Buildings of this type Such buildings
- comparatively relatively
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response is strongest in its mature, controlled explanation of how land scarcity and standardized construction methods reduce cities’ architectural individuality, supported by well-chosen examples. Its main limitation is that the judgment on whether this trend is bad remains somewhat qualified rather than explored in equal depth. Make the evaluative position explicit earlier and develop its consequences more fully.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both questions with a clear explanation of the cause and a consistently negative, though nuanced, evaluation supported by relevant examples.
State the evaluative position in the introduction and develop why the loss of architectural individuality matters as fully as the causal explanation.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through cause, possible responses, and a qualified conclusion, with effective paragraphing and cohesive links.
Make the transition from explaining the cause to evaluating the trend slightly more explicit so the argument’s two parts are even more clearly balanced.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and natural, including effective topic language such as “architectural character,” “prefabricated materials,” and “cultural diversity.”
Proofread carefully to remove the isolated typographical slips and preserve the otherwise consistently polished lexical control.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with errors rare and meaning consistently clear.
Maintain the same structural range while checking final punctuation and transcription details to eliminate the few surface-level lapses.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In the past, buildings often reflected the culture of a society but today all modern buildings look alike and cities throughout the world are becoming more and more similar. What do you think is the reason for this, and is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.