In the past, people used to travel abroad to look for many differences from their home country. Nowadays, cities throughout the world are becoming more and more similar.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. In the past, people used to travel abroad to look for many differences from their home country. Nowadays, cities throughout the world are becoming more and more similar.

Cities worldwide becoming more similar and losing differences - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

What are the reasons? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

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 328 words.

In today's hyper-connected society, the fact that cities are becoming more similar has become an increasingly significant issue that has attracted considerable public attention. While many people believe that the increasing similarity of cities brings a wide range of benefits, others argue that its potential drawbacks should not be underestimated. This essay will examine both the advantages and disadvantages of this development before reaching a balanced conclusion.

One of the primary advantages of the increasing similarity is that it can significantly improve modern society, particularly by the increasing tourist visits. As a result, people are able to relax more comfortable and confidence daily lifes, which not only helps them to relax their daily lifestyle but also enables them to travel less expensive. A real-life exapmle, modern transport systems, healthcare services, and education systems clearly illustrates how the increasing similarity of cities contributes to living more comfortable. Therefore, it is evident that the increasing similarity plays an essential role in promoting social development.

Despite these advantages, the increasing similarity is not without its drawbacks. One major concern is that it may have an adverse effect on natural environment, especially when it is carried out without sufficient planning or appropriate regulation. In such situations, antique buildings may be demolished, which can place considerable pressure on local communities and ultimately result in historical buildings. For instance, a large number of historical cities may be demolished to way make way for a modern cities. Consequently, people may experience to do not know our within culture and this issue is likely to become more serious unless effective measures and taken.

In conclusion, although the increasing similarity offers a number of significant benefits, particularly in terms of the increasing tourist visits and country development, it also gives rise to several important challenges related to the loss of traditional culture and historical buildings. On balance, I believe that the positive aspects can outweigh the negative ones, provided that appropriate policies and responsible practices are implemented.

Examiner feedback

The essay effectively addresses the prompt and maintains a clear organization. However, the score is limited by repetitive vocabulary and several grammatical inaccuracies. To improve, focus on the logical link between your points and the specific concept of 'similarity' rather than just 'modernization'.

Task Response - 6

- The essay addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both advantages and disadvantages. - The position is clear, especially in the conclusion where a balanced view is reached. - Some ideas lack logical development; for instance, it is not clearly explained how* city similarity makes travel 'less expensive'. The connection between similarity and 'natural environment' in the third paragraph is also slightly tangential, focusing more on modernization than similarity itself.

Coherence & Cohesion - 6

- The essay follows a clear, logical structure with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. - Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate advantages and disadvantages. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'One of the primary advantages', 'Despite these', 'Consequently') are used effectively to guide the reader, though some phrasing like 'the increasing similarity' is overused and becomes repetitive.

Lexical Resource - 6

- The vocabulary range is adequate for the task, with some good attempts at academic phrasing ('hyper-connected society', 'adverse effect', 'appropriate regulation'). - Spelling errors are present (e.g., 'exapmle', 'lifes') and there are errors in word formation/collocation (e.g., 'within culture', 'to way make way'). - There is a reliance on repeating the prompt's language rather than using a wider range of synonyms for 'similar' or 'becoming the same'.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating a reasonable range. - There are several grammatical errors that occasionally hinder flow: 'relax more comfortable' (should be 'comfortably'), 'confidence daily lifes' (should be 'confident daily lives'), and 'measures and taken' (should be 'are taken'). - Punctuation is generally accurate, but sentence structures like 'experience to do not know our within culture' are very awkward and non-native in construction.

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