It is important that we maintain and protect the beautiful buildings of the past, even if it is expensive for countries to do so. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Sample Response
In today's world, countries are facing many pressing issues such as poverty, climate change, and healthcare. Given these urgent concerns, the notion that we should prioritize funding the maintenance and protection of historical buildingsprioritize spending on maintaining and protecting historical buildings, even if it is expensive, seems misguided. In this essay, I will explain why I disagree with the statement that it is important to conserve and protect historical buildings.
Firstly, it is vital to recognize that maintaining historical buildings is a costly undertaking. Governments must allocate significant resources and funds to upkeep such buildings, which could otherwise be invested in other pressing social and economic needs. It is often argued that such buildings attract tourists and generate revenue, which supports the economywhich is important for the economy. However, it is important to consider that this revenue is often not enough to cover the costs of maintaining and protecting these buildings.
Secondly, focusing too much on preserving the past can distract from the more pressing issues facing society today. While historical buildings may be attractive and significant, they do not address the pressing concerns of modern times, such as poverty and climate change. Governments should focus on addressing these issues rather than spending time and money on preserving the pastspending time and money preserving the past.
Lastly, we should considerLastly, we should also consider that not all historical buildings are worth preserving. Some buildings have significant cultural and historical value, while others may not. In fact, some historical buildings may even embodyrepresent a painful legacy of colonialism, slavery, or other forms of oppression. It is important for societies to critically examine the value of historical buildingsthe value and significance of historical buildings before investing resources in their preservation.
In conclusion, while historical buildings may hold cultural and historical value, I disagree with the idea that it is essential to maintain and protect them, even if it is expensive. In a world facing numerous pressing issues, governments must prioritize spending on urgent needs such as poverty reduction and climate actionchange rather than investing in the preservation of the pastinvesting in preserving the past.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response maintains a clear position and develops a coherent case through cost, social priorities, and selective preservation, using controlled language and strong paragraphing. Its main limitation is that the supporting arguments remain somewhat general and repeatedly rely on the same contrast between heritage and urgent needs. The highest-priority improvement is to add specific, fully explained examples and engage more precisely with when expensive preservation may still be justified.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear and consistently supported by three relevant lines of argument, but development remains somewhat general.
Extend the argument with concrete examples and a more nuanced account of cases where costly preservation could be warranted.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced in focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices guide the reader smoothly throughout.
Reduce repeated framing around pressing issues so that links between ideas are even more economical.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of appropriate academic vocabulary, though repetition and a few awkward choices limit flexibility.
Vary repeated terms such as important, pressing, and historical buildings, and replace unnatural phrasing such as allocate funds to upkeep buildings.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex and simple structures are combined accurately, with strong control of clauses and punctuation across the essay.
Polish the few awkward constructions and maintain this accuracy while adding more syntactic variety to supporting examples.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
It is important that we maintain and protect the beautiful buildings of the past, even if it is expensive for countries to do so. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.