Some people think that in the modern world we are more dependent on each other, while others think that people have become more independent. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
People have different views about whether we are more dependent on others or more independentmore or less dependent on others nowadays. In my view, modern life requiresforces us to be more independent than people were in the past.
There are two main reasons why some people arguewhy it could be argued that we are more interdependent nowmore dependent on each other now. Firstly, life is more financially demandinglife is more complex and difficult, especially because the cost of living has increased so dramatically. For example, young adults tend to rely on their parents for help withwhen buying a house. Property prices are higher than ever, and without help it would be impossible for many people to pay a deposit and make mortgage paymentspay a deposit and a mortgage. Secondly, people seem to be more ambitious nowadays, and they want a better quality of life for their families. This means that both parents usually need to work full-time, and they rely on grandparents and babysittersdepend on support from grandparents and babysitters for child care.
However, I would agree with those who believe that people are more independent these days. In most countries, families are becoming smaller and more geographically dispersedsmaller and more dispersed, which means that people cannot count on relatives as much as they used to. We also have more freedom to travel and live far away from our home towns. For example, many students choose to study abroad instead of going to their local university, and this experience makes them more independent as they learn to live alone. Another factor in this growing independence is technology, which allows us to work independently from anywhere in the worldwork alone and from any part of the world.
In conclusion, while there are some reasons to believe that people now depend on each other more, my own view is that we are more independent than ever.
Why this response received Band 8.5
This is a clear, well-controlled response with a consistently stated position, balanced coverage of both views, and relevant examples that progress logically. Its main limitation is that a few claims, especially the point about technology enabling independence, are asserted rather than fully explained; the best improvement would be to deepen these final supporting links and add slightly more precise qualification.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are fully addressed, the position remains clear throughout, and each side is supported with relevant, developed examples.
Deepen the explanation of how technology creates independence and qualify broad claims such as those about most countries.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are organised into focused paragraphs and move through a clear contrast with cohesive devices used smoothly.
Make the final supporting point connect more explicitly to the paragraph's central claim about growing independence.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and natural, with effective items such as dispersed, mortgage, and quality of life.
Refine occasional broad expressions by choosing more specific language for the social effects of technology and mobility.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used with consistently accurate grammar and punctuation.
Maintain this control while varying sentence openings slightly to make the prose even more stylistically flexible.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that in the modern world we are more dependent on each other, while others think that people have become more independent. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.