Some cities have vehicle-free days when private cars, trucks, and motorcycles are banned from the city centre. People are encouraged to use public transportation such as buses, taxis, and metro on vehicle-free days. Do the advantages of having vehicle-free days outweigh the disadvantages?
Sample Response
The urban landscape pulsates with life but is often choked by the throes of traffic. In response, some cities have embraced the concept of car-free days, temporarily banishing private vehicles from their hearts. While disruptions and inconveniences arise, the environmental and societal benefits paint a compelling picture, suggesting that the advantages of these car-free initiatives outweigh the disadvantages.
Objections to car-free days often cite disruptions to daily routines and economic concerns. Businesses fear decreased foot traffic, while commuters grapple with navigating alternative transportation. These drawbacks deserve consideration. For example, shop owners in central Madrid initially reported a drop in customer visits when car-free zones were introduced, citing reduced accessibility as a major concern.
However, the most immediate and tangible benefit is a dramatic improvement in air quality. With exhaust fumes abating, car-free days offer city dwellers a taste of pure air, reducing harmful pollutants and allergens. This translates into immediate health benefits, particularly for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly. Furthermore, car-free days unlock the potential for vibrant public spaces. Reclaimed streets become pedestrianised playgrounds, buzzing with activity. Street performers entertain, vendors display their wares, and families enjoy picnics and leisurely strolls. This fosters a sense of community and belonging, transforming the city centre from a congested thoroughfare into a place for human interaction and shared experiences. For instance, some European cities saw their car-free day morph into a massive street food festival, drawing in locals and tourists alike, and injecting vitality into the city's core.
In conclusion, while car-free days are not without their challenges, the advantages they offer paint a compelling picture. Improved air quality, vibrant public spaces, and a strengthened sense of community stand as weighty benefits, outweighing the inconveniences faced by businesses and commuters.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use restrained description Original: urban landscape pulsates with life Suggested revision: urban landscape is lively Why it matters: The revision preserves the meaning without an unnecessarily dramatic metaphor.
- 2. Correct mixed metaphor Original: choked by the throes of traffic Suggested revision: choked by traffic congestion Why it matters: 'Throes' describes severe struggle and does not combine naturally with traffic.
- 3. Use precise policy wording Original: temporarily banishing private vehicles from their hearts Suggested revision: temporarily banning private vehicles from their centres Why it matters: The revision states the restriction directly and avoids personifying cities.
- 4. Replace vague metaphor Original: environmental and societal benefits paint a compelling picture Suggested revision: environmental and societal benefits make a compelling case Why it matters: A case can logically support the stated judgement, whereas a picture is less precise.
- 5. Simplify commuter difficulty Original: grapple with navigating alternative transportation Suggested revision: struggle to use alternative transport Why it matters: This expresses the same difficulty more directly.
- 6. Avoid absolute claim Original: a taste of pure air Suggested revision: a period of cleaner air Why it matters: 'Cleaner' preserves the comparison without implying that urban air becomes completely pure.
- 7. Use formal example marker Original: vulnerable populations like children Suggested revision: vulnerable populations such as children Why it matters: 'Such as' is the more formal way to introduce examples.
- 8. Use direct opportunity phrase Original: unlock the potential for vibrant public spaces Suggested revision: create opportunities for vibrant public spaces Why it matters: The direct verb avoids an abstract metaphor while preserving the stated benefit.
- 9. Use accurate public-space term Original: pedestrianised playgrounds Suggested revision: pedestrian-friendly public spaces Why it matters: The streets are described as shared civic areas rather than literal playgrounds.
- 10. Fix number and register Original: some European cities saw their car-free day morph Suggested revision: some European cities saw their car-free days develop Why it matters: The plural cities require plural days, and 'develop' is more suitable than the informal 'morph'.
- 11. Use natural evaluation phrase Original: stand as weighty benefits Suggested revision: are substantial benefits Why it matters: This is a more natural collocation for emphasizing the importance of the advantages.
Suggested Rewrites
- urban landscape pulsates with life urban landscape is lively
- choked by the throes of traffic choked by traffic congestion
- temporarily banishing private vehicles from their hearts temporarily banning private vehicles from their centres
- environmental and societal benefits paint a compelling picture environmental and societal benefits make a compelling case
- grapple with navigating alternative transportation struggle to use alternative transport
- a taste of pure air a period of cleaner air
Why this response received Band 8.5
The essay directly answers the comparison and develops a convincing case through air quality, public health, community space, and economic-access concerns. Its strongest feature is vivid, precise development supported by relevant examples; the main limitation is only slight rhetorical excess and an underexplored response to business disruption. The highest-priority improvement is to explain one practical mitigation for affected commuters or shops, making the advantages-over-disadvantages judgement even more robust.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully examines disadvantages and multiple substantial benefits, sustaining a clear judgement that the advantages outweigh the costs.
Add one concise mitigation for reduced accessibility or commuter disruption to reinforce why those drawbacks remain secondary.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing and progression are highly effective, moving logically from acknowledged objections to stronger environmental and social benefits and a decisive conclusion.
Keep the same clear structure while making the internal shift from air quality to public-space benefits slightly more concise.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, vivid, and precise, with sophisticated control of language for urban transport, public health, and community life.
Moderate a few highly figurative phrases so the academic tone remains consistently direct as well as engaging.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is used flexibly and accurately, with punctuation and sentence boundaries very well controlled.
Preserve this accuracy while varying the occasional repeated participial ending in the longest descriptive sentences.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some cities have vehicle-free days when private cars, trucks, and motorcycles are banned from the city centre. People are encouraged to use public transportation such as buses, taxis, and metro on vehicle-free days. Do the advantages of having vehicle-free days outweigh the disadvantages?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.