In many cities, planners have separated schools, homes, shops, and offices into specific areas which are widely separated from each other.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. In many cities, planners have separated schools, homes, shops, and offices into specific areas which are widely separated from each other.

Cities Schools Homes Shops Offices Separated Zones Advantages - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Do you think the advantages of this policy outweigh the disadvantages to the city residents?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 6 ยท 280 words.

In the contemporary world, planners around many cities have already divided education institutions, homes, shops and offices into specific areas which are largely separated from one another. I firmly believe that the benefits of separation completely outweigh its drawbacks to the city residents.

To begin with, one important advantage of separation is reduced noise pollution. This is because in some places there may be a crowd of people, traffic congestion or advertisements, that can create noise. Furthermore, individuals who work or pupils who study could be easily disturbed, but separation could simplify this problem . For example, when these facilities are divided, there would be less traffic congestion or commercial activities. As a result, this approach can create a more peaceful environment, where workers could better concentrate on their work or students' academic performance would be better.

Nevertheless, the primary disadvantage of separation is long commutes. This is because when these areas are divided, people have to travel very frequently. For example, pupils have to go a long way to reach educational places, or employees need to travel a long distance to get to their workplaces, Moreover, expenses would also increase, since residents have to pay for taxis. As a consequence, the separation could create fatigue among citizens, workers would be run late to work and people would have less time for their family.

Ultimately, even though this approach may have some drawbacks, such as long commutes which create fatigue or being late, its benefits such as reduced noise pollution, which improve students academic performance and workers concentration cannot be dismissed, since this could create a peaceful environment where. I am quite convinced that the advantages clearly outweigh its disadvantages.

Examiner feedback

The essay provides a clear response to the prompt with a logical structure and a consistent viewpoint. While the arguments are relevant, the score is limited by mechanical transitions and occasional grammatical inconsistencies that hinder the natural flow of the writing.

Task Response - 6

- Addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout the essay. - Main ideas are relevant, but the development is somewhat limited (e.g., the argument for noise reduction focuses heavily on traffic but doesn't explore other zoning benefits). - The conclusion is slightly rushed and ends with a grammatical fragment ('where.').

Coherence & Cohesion - 6

- Paragraphing is clear and logical, with a dedicated section for advantages and disadvantages. - Uses cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'As a result' effectively, though they feel somewhat mechanical. - Progression is clear, but the conclusion is slightly repetitive of the introduction.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'traffic congestion' and 'academic performance'. - Some repetition of words from the prompt (e.g., 'separated', 'separation', 'planners'). - Attempts at less common phrases are mostly successful, though some word choices are slightly awkward (e.g., 'simplify this problem' instead of 'alleviate').

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- Uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable range. - There are several grammatical slips, such as 'workers would be run late' and 'students' academic performance' (possessive placement). - Punctuation is generally accurate, though some sentences are slightly fragmented or end abruptly.

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