Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
It is noticeable that people tend to travel more frequently these days than they did in the pastused to do in the past. While I agree that travellers should followthe travellers should follow the host country’s traditions and culturecultures, I also think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.
On the one handOn one hand, travellers should adapt to the culture of their host country and be open to the ideafeel happy with the idea of trying new things. Nowadays, people not only consider travelling as a way to relax but also they think it is a chance for self-improvement and exploring the world. Travelling is a good opportunity to try new things such as traditional cuisine, music and customs and those who just travel to seeview landscapes miss a valuable opportunitywaste a perfect chance to learn something new. For example, people who have visited places like India, Egypt or China have been very excited when they tried the local food or wore the traditional dress. An experience like this broadens people’s horizons and enriches their knowledge.
On the other hand, for several reasons, host countriesfor many reasons the host country should accept and understand the different backgrounds of tourists. Firstly, for many visitors, it would be difficult to follow the host culture and customs because these are usually different fromthese usually different than their own and in some cases they may even be incompatible with their beliefs and morals. For example, IndiansIndian or Arabs who go to European countries may find it difficult to get used to European cuisinethe European taste in food because it does not contain as manymuch spices as their own cuisine doesas they have in their food. In addition, if travellers feel welcomefeel they are welcomed in the new country despite the cultural differences they will feel more comfortable visitingcomfortable to visit this place again.
In conclusion, I believe that it could be beneficial for travellers to beget exposed to different cultures and customs. However, tourist destinations should be openopened to the cultural diversity of their visitorsof its newcomers.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The essay presents both perspectives in a balanced, coherent discussion and maintains a nuanced opinion that travellers should engage with local culture while hosts accommodate difference. Its main limitation is that some support relies on narrow or questionable examples, and several grammatical or collocational lapses reduce precision. The highest-priority improvement is to justify each side through broader principles such as respect, social harmony, personal belief, and mutual tolerance, supported by accurately expressed examples.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are directly developed with relevant reasons and examples, and the balanced personal position is clear from the introduction through the conclusion.
Strengthen the reasoning with examples about behavioural norms and deeply held beliefs rather than relying mainly on food and tourism preferences.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response progresses smoothly through a clear four-paragraph structure, with effective contrast and well-focused body paragraphs.
Refine sentence-level linking so long examples do not depend on loose coordination or missing punctuation between clauses.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible and often precise, including natural expressions such as 'broadens people's horizons' and 'cultural diversity', despite occasional awkward choices.
Refine collocations such as 'be exposed to', 'be open to cultural diversity', and 'traditional clothing'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A variety of complex structures is used and meaning remains clear, but errors in parallelism, missing verbs, countability, and agreement are noticeable.
Correct patterns such as 'not only as a way to relax but also as a chance', 'customs are different', and 'fewer spices'.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.