These days, overpopulation in many urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify one or two serious problems associated with overpopulation in urban areas, and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.
Sample Response
Ever since the industrial revolution, people have been migrating to urban centres in droves. Hence, cities have become overcrowded, which in turn has resulted in many hardships for their dwellers. I argue thatIt is opined that high costs of living and worsening transport problemsrising transport difficulties are two of the most serious problems brought about by overpopulation in cities. To tackle these issues, suburban developmentsuburb developments and infrastructural changes will be considered as solutionswill be analysed for viability.
To begin, the costcosts of living in big cities have reached an exorbitant level in the past few decades due to the ever-growing population density in these areas. One of the ways in which this alarming issue can be addressed is via the development of new housing developmentsupscale housing communities on the outskirts of major urban centres. For example, in Karachi, Pakistan, the government has initiated many such projects outside of the metropolitan area, which has helped to reduce high property costscurb the high costs of property in the city. As a result, property ownership rates in the city have increased in the last few years, especially amongby the middle class. Therefore, the plausibility of establishing such housing arrangements can be clearly seen.
In addition, many cities now face the problem of frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic jamsthe epidemic of regular bumper-to-bumper traffic jams due to the ever-increasing population. A feasible way to counter this issue is tothe invest in newer modes of transportation, and people should use these alternatives. Take London, for example, where the underground railwaysubway system has dramatically eased the traffic congestion in most parts of the city. Thus, the subway system has become the preferred way of travelling for most inhabitants of London. As a result, the number of cars on London’s roads has fallen dramaticallydramatically shrunk in numbers. Hence, the effectiveness of this suggested solution is obvious.
In conclusion, setting up housing communities outside of city limits and establishing alternative means of transport are effective ways to counter the negative ramifications of overpopulation in cities. It is thus hoped that these strategies are put into practice by governments the world over.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is especially effective in selecting two clear urban problems and pairing each with a relevant, well-explained solution in a logically organised argument. Its main limitation is that individual action receives only a brief mention, while government-led measures dominate the discussion. The highest-priority improvement is to develop a specific individual responsibility, explain how it works, and connect it directly to one of the identified problems.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses two serious problems with relevant solutions, but the role of individuals is only briefly stated rather than developed.
Develop one concrete individual action and explain how it would help reduce either housing pressure or traffic congestion.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument progresses clearly through well-focused paragraphs, although some concluding linkers make the cohesion slightly mechanical.
Reduce repeated result markers such as 'Thus' and 'Hence' by allowing the logical relationships to emerge more naturally.
Lexical Resource
A broad and generally precise vocabulary supports the argument, with a few awkward or overstated choices such as 'epidemic' and 'shrunk in numbers.'
Prefer natural, exact collocations, for example describing traffic as severe and saying that the number of cars has fallen.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately, with only isolated slips that do not impede meaning.
Proofread carefully for small form errors such as 'is the invest,' which should be 'is to invest.'
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IELTS Writing Task 2
These days, overpopulation in many urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify one or two serious problems associated with overpopulation in urban areas, and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.