Band 6 IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay on Living Alone: Cohesion Issues
Sample Answer with Feedback

πŸ“… Published Feb 2026⏱️ 40 minutes recommendedπŸ“ 362 words Β· Band 6
Achieving a Band 6 in the IELTS Writing Task 2 requires careful consideration of structure and coherence. This essay on living alone presents ideas clearly but struggles with cohesive transitions and deeper development of arguments.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Question

Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) Β· Living Alone Β· 40 min


In some countries, more and more people are opting to live alone these days than before. Do you think this is a positive or negative development? 

Write at least 250 words.



6Band

Overall Band Score

362 words Β· Agree/ Disagree (Opinion) Β· AI Evaluated

6
Task Response
5.5
Grammar
5.5
Vocabulary
5.5
Coherence

Score Breakdown

IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)

Overall Band Score
6
Task Response
6
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
5.5
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)
5.5
Coherence & Cohesion
5.5

Summary: The essay addresses the task sufficiently by presenting a clear position and covering both positive and negative aspects, but it lacks depth in development and contains frequent language errors that affect clarity and cohesion. The word count of 362 meets the minimum requirement of 250 words.

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Student Answer
Real submission β€’ 362 words β€’ Annotated
362 wordsβ€’Band 6β€’WritingPart2
● Spelling● Grammar● Vocabulary

In the contemporary years, an incresing number of people prefer to live alone rather than communal living. Considering the fact that this lifestyle fosters sense of responsibility and freedom from external pressure, I argue that it is a positive development. Eventhough there can be some drawbacks, the advantages are greater.

To begin with, when individual opt to live alone, it means that they are ready to take responsibilty for their lives because they would not have to depend on people anymore for most life basic provisions. Take for instance, a young man that leaves his brother's house to live alone will hence be able to manage his house expeSces alone. As a result, this individual tends to work harde knowing pretty well that he has some bills to pay. Also, This trend cause people to become more conscious of how they live and become accountable for their lifestyles. For example, we can notice that in our societies that people that lived care free in their parents house usually learn to live carefully to an extent when they eventually have their own homes. Further more, freedom from pressure comes from the decision to live alone. As we all know," title="Correction: As we all know,">As we all know that most factors that affect young peoples' life decisions are mostly parental pressure, and by living alone, people tend to overcome it.

Conversley, the drawbacks of this lifestyle is that it can enhance criminal attitudes as some people that have criminal tendencies would choose to live a private life in order not to have people know about thier negative lifestyle. people living alone can be prone to depression as they may lack people to talk to nor share they problems with. When I was a student in the university in nigeria, I noticed that most of the students that commits sucide are students living alone and not in hostels with others. However, despite this drawbacks, I belive that this trend is a positive one because freedom from coersion can never be traded for anything.

In conclusion, living alone has its cons but the freedom and sense of responsility that it provides is very crucial in every individuals life. Therefore, it is a positive trend.

AI Feedback Report Details

Spelling Β· Grammar Β· Vocabulary Β· Criteria Analysis

Spelling Mistakes

14 errors
Misspelled WordCorrected Word
incresingincreasing
responsibiltyresponsibility
expeScesexpenses
hardeharder
care freecarefree
Further moreFurthermore
EventhoughEven though
ConversleyConversely
thiertheir
sucidesuicide
belivebelieve
coersioncoercion
responsilityresponsibility
nigeriaNigeria

Grammatical Mistakes

17 errors
MistakeCorrectionExplanation
prefer to live alone rather than communal livingprefer to live alone rather than to live communallyLack of parallel structure; 'rather than' requires parallel elements
fosters sense of responsibilityfosters a sense of responsibilityMissing article 'a' before 'sense'
when individual optwhen individuals optSubject-verb agreement: 'individual' is singular, so use 'opts' or make subject plural
for most life basic provisionsfor most basic life provisionsIncorrect word order; adjectives should precede nouns in a logical sequence
a young man that leavesa young man who leavesUse 'who' for people instead of 'that'
This trend causeThis trend causesSubject-verb agreement: 'trend' is singular, so verb should be 'causes'
we can notice that in our societies thatwe can notice in our societies thatRedundant use of 'that'; remove one for clarity
people that lived care freepeople who lived carefreeUse 'who' for people; 'carefree' is the correct spelling
in their parents housein their parents' houseMissing possessive apostrophe; it should be 'parents'' to indicate possession
to an extent whento the extent thatIncorrect conjunction; use 'that' instead of 'when' for describing degree
As we all know thatAs we all know,Redundant 'that'; the clause should follow directly after the comma
the drawbacks of this lifestyle isthe drawbacks of this lifestyle areSubject-verb agreement: 'drawbacks' is plural, so verb should be 'are'
some people that have criminal tendenciessome people who have criminal tendenciesUse 'who' for people instead of 'that'
nor share they problemsor share their problemsIncorrect conjunction 'nor' for negative alternatives; use 'or' and correct pronoun 'their'
most of the students that commits sucidemost of the students who commit suicideUse 'who' for people and subject-verb agreement: 'students' plural requires 'commit'
despite this drawbacksdespite these drawbacksDemonstrative adjective agreement: 'drawbacks' is plural, so use 'these'
in every individuals lifein every individual's lifePossessive form required; use 'individual's' for singular possession

Vocabulary Improvements

9 suggestions
Original Word/PhraseImproved Word/PhraseExplanation
contemporary yearsrecent yearsVague and awkward phrasing; 'recent years' is more precise and commonly used
life basic provisionsbasic life necessitiesIncorrect collocation; 'basic life necessities' improves word order and clarity
Take for instanceFor exampleInformal phrase; 'For example' is standard in academic writing
pretty wellvery wellInformal adverb; 'very well' is more formal and appropriate
As we all knowIt is widely knownInformal expression; 'It is widely known' is more academic and objective
enhance criminal attitudespromote criminal behavior'Enhance' has positive connotations; 'promote' is neutral/negative. 'Behavior' is more precise than 'attitudes' in this context
private lifesolitary lifeMore precise term for living alone; 'solitary life' emphasizes isolation
consdisadvantagesInformal term; 'disadvantages' is more formal and suitable for academic writing
traded for anythingexchanged for anythingInformal phrasing; 'exchanged' is a more formal verb in this context

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Detailed Criteria Feedback

AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion

Task Response6
Evaluation
The response is relevant and answers all parts of the question, stating a position that living alone is positive. Both advantages and disadvantages are mentioned, but the arguments are not fully extended or analytically developed. The personal example is relevant but somewhat anecdotal.
Examples
Advantages like fostering responsibility and freedom are discussed, and drawbacks such as potential for criminal attitudes and depression are noted. However, the point about criminal attitudes is underdeveloped and not convincingly linked to the topic.
How to Improve
Provide more detailed explanations for each point, use broader societal examples rather than just personal anecdotes, and ensure a balanced analysis before reinforcing the position. Develop ideas more thoroughly to support the argument.
Coherence & Cohesion5.5
Evaluation
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, cohesion is hampered by inaccurate linking words and awkward transitions between ideas. Paragraphing is present but could be more logically organized.
Examples
Misspellings like 'Conversley' instead of 'Conversely' and 'Further more' instead of 'Furthermore' disrupt flow. Some sentences are choppy, and the connection between paragraphs (e.g., from advantages to disadvantages) could be smoother.
How to Improve
Use a wider range of cohesive devices accurately (e.g., however, moreover, in contrast). Ensure each paragraph starts with a clear topic sentence and that ideas progress logically within and between paragraphs. Proofread to correct transitional errors.
Lexical Resource5.5
Evaluation
Vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task, but there are noticeable spelling errors and imprecise word choices, which occasionally hinder clarity. Some attempts at varied vocabulary are made, but errors are frequent.
Examples
Spelling errors: 'incresing' (increasing), 'expeSces' (expenses), 'harde' (harder), 'sucide' (suicide), 'coersion' (coercion). Imprecise terms like 'criminal attitudes' may not accurately convey the intended meaning.
How to Improve
Expand lexical range by learning topic-related vocabulary. Practice spelling and word formation. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to choose more precise words and avoid repetition. Review common IELTS vocabulary for social trends.
Grammatical Range & Accuracy5.5
Evaluation
There is an attempt to use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but grammatical errors are frequent, including subject-verb agreement, tense inconsistencies, and punctuation mistakes. Errors sometimes cause difficulty for the reader.
Examples
Subject-verb agreement: 'the drawbacks ... is' should be 'are'. Tense: 'people that lived care free' should be 'who lived carefree'. Punctuation: missing commas after introductory phrases (e.g., 'To begin with,'). Sentence fragment: 'people living alone can be prone to depression as they may lack people to talk to nor share they problems with' has errors in conjunction and pronoun use ('nor' should be 'or', 'they' should be 'their').
How to Improve
Focus on mastering basic grammar rules, especially subject-verb agreement and tense consistency. Practice using complex sentences with correct subordination and coordination. Proofread for punctuation errors and consider using grammar check tools for feedback.
πŸ’‘
Tip: Review the Band 9 model answer to see how a high-scoring essay structures arguments, uses advanced vocabulary, and maintains coherence throughout.

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