A rise in the standard of living in a country often only seems to benefit cities rather than rural areas. What problems can this cause? How might these problems be reduced?
Sample Response
When standards of living increase, it is primarily urban residents, not those in the countryside, who benefit. In my opinion, this can lead to contrastingopposite problems related to population density and is best mitigated by governmental action.
Unequal improvements in living standardsInequality in terms of standard of living creates population-related problems in both cities and rural regionsengenders population problems for cities and rural regions. Cities have become overpopulatedover-populated over the past centuryin the last century as they offer a wider range of educational, occupational, and recreational options. Elevated population density means that although residents can generally enjoy a higher standard of livingenjoy a higher standard of living generally, they must also cope with the effects of overcrowdingovercome concomitant effects from overcrowding such as heaviermore traffic, poorer sanitationless sanitary conditions, and higher crime rates. The opposite problem occurs in rural areasThe inverse problem exists outside cities as residents leave and locals struggle to earn a living in sparsely populated towns and villages.
These related problems can best be countered by the authorities. There are various initiatives that could be implemented. One real-world example of this would be in Japan where the government in recent years has addressed dwindling population numbers in the countryside by auctioning off country homes cheaply. Prospective home-owners are often able to buy houses for almost nothingnearly for free if they agree to live and work in a town with few residents. Another possible measure would be for governments to invest more in urban infrastructure. Since migration to cities is likely to continuemigrations to cities are likely inevitable, this is a more pragmatic tactic.
In conclusion, the inverse issues created for rural and urban areas by rising standards of living can be effectively controlled if governments intervene. This issue will only become more pressing as the global middle class continues to grow.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response addresses both questions directly, links urban overcrowding with rural depopulation, and proposes relevant government measures in a fluent, well-organised argument. The main limitation is that the urban-infrastructure solution is introduced only briefly and therefore feels less fully justified than the rural example. The highest-priority improvement is to explain exactly how each proposed measure would reduce the identified problem and improve living conditions.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both the problems and solutions are fully addressed through relevant, well-developed ideas and a clear overall position.
Extend the urban-infrastructure proposal with a specific mechanism or example showing how it would mitigate overcrowding.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is logically sequenced, and the contrast between urban and rural effects creates strong progression across the essay.
Integrate the two proposed solutions more explicitly with the corresponding problems to sharpen the argument's internal links.
Lexical Resource
A broad and precise vocabulary is used naturally, including effective terms such as concomitant effects, dwindling population, and pragmatic tactic.
Prefer slightly more natural phrasing where expressions such as opposite problems or migrations to cities sound less idiomatic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are varied and very well controlled, with only rare minor awkwardness that does not affect clarity.
Polish occasional number and article choices, particularly in references to migration and population, to approach complete accuracy.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
A rise in the standard of living in a country often only seems to benefit cities rather than rural areas. What problems can this cause? How might these problems be reduced?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.