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) · Living Alone · 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.
Score Breakdown
IELTS Writing Band Scores (1–9)
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.
Now write your own — and see how your verdict holds up.
Submit your Living Alone essay and receive AI scores across Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammar — plus a Band 9 model answer for your exact question.
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 · Grammar · Vocabulary · Criteria Analysis
Spelling Mistakes
14 errors| Misspelled Word | Corrected Word |
|---|---|
| incresing | increasing |
| responsibilty | responsibility |
| expeSces | expenses |
| harde | harder |
| care free | carefree |
| Further more | Furthermore |
| Eventhough | Even though |
| Conversley | Conversely |
| thier | their |
| sucide | suicide |
| belive | believe |
| coersion | coercion |
| responsility | responsibility |
| nigeria | Nigeria |
Grammatical Mistakes
17 errors| Mistake | Correction | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| prefer to live alone rather than communal living | prefer to live alone rather than to live communally | Lack of parallel structure; 'rather than' requires parallel elements |
| fosters sense of responsibility | fosters a sense of responsibility | Missing article 'a' before 'sense' |
| when individual opt | when individuals opt | Subject-verb agreement: 'individual' is singular, so use 'opts' or make subject plural |
| for most life basic provisions | for most basic life provisions | Incorrect word order; adjectives should precede nouns in a logical sequence |
| a young man that leaves | a young man who leaves | Use 'who' for people instead of 'that' |
| This trend cause | This trend causes | Subject-verb agreement: 'trend' is singular, so verb should be 'causes' |
| we can notice that in our societies that | we can notice in our societies that | Redundant use of 'that'; remove one for clarity |
| people that lived care free | people who lived carefree | Use 'who' for people; 'carefree' is the correct spelling |
| in their parents house | in their parents' house | Missing possessive apostrophe; it should be 'parents'' to indicate possession |
| to an extent when | to the extent that | Incorrect conjunction; use 'that' instead of 'when' for describing degree |
| As we all know that | As we all know, | Redundant 'that'; the clause should follow directly after the comma |
| the drawbacks of this lifestyle is | the drawbacks of this lifestyle are | Subject-verb agreement: 'drawbacks' is plural, so verb should be 'are' |
| some people that have criminal tendencies | some people who have criminal tendencies | Use 'who' for people instead of 'that' |
| nor share they problems | or share their problems | Incorrect conjunction 'nor' for negative alternatives; use 'or' and correct pronoun 'their' |
| most of the students that commits sucide | most of the students who commit suicide | Use 'who' for people and subject-verb agreement: 'students' plural requires 'commit' |
| despite this drawbacks | despite these drawbacks | Demonstrative adjective agreement: 'drawbacks' is plural, so use 'these' |
| in every individuals life | in every individual's life | Possessive form required; use 'individual's' for singular possession |
Vocabulary Improvements
9 suggestions| Original Word/Phrase | Improved Word/Phrase | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| contemporary years | recent years | Vague and awkward phrasing; 'recent years' is more precise and commonly used |
| life basic provisions | basic life necessities | Incorrect collocation; 'basic life necessities' improves word order and clarity |
| Take for instance | For example | Informal phrase; 'For example' is standard in academic writing |
| pretty well | very well | Informal adverb; 'very well' is more formal and appropriate |
| As we all know | It is widely known | Informal expression; 'It is widely known' is more academic and objective |
| enhance criminal attitudes | promote criminal behavior | 'Enhance' has positive connotations; 'promote' is neutral/negative. 'Behavior' is more precise than 'attitudes' in this context |
| private life | solitary life | More precise term for living alone; 'solitary life' emphasizes isolation |
| cons | disadvantages | Informal term; 'disadvantages' is more formal and suitable for academic writing |
| traded for anything | exchanged for anything | Informal phrasing; 'exchanged' is a more formal verb in this context |
Ready to practise? Get instant AI feedback on your verdict.
Submit your Living Alone essay and receive AI scores across all four IELTS criteria — with specific feedback on whether your solutions are specific, realistic, and matched to your problems.
Detailed Criteria Feedback
AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion
Task Response
6
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 and Cohesion
5.5
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 Resource
5.5
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 and Accuracy
5.5
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.
Tip: Review the Band 9 model answer to see how a high-scoring essay structures arguments, uses advanced vocabulary, and maintains coherence throughout.
RELATED ESSAYS
02
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.
In recent years, an increasing number of people in some countries have chosen to live alone rather than with family members or roommates. While this trend refle...
03
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.
The rise in people choosing to live alone is one of the most noticeable social shifts of the last few decades, and I think it is more positive than negative, th...
04
Relocating big businesses and industries and their workers from urban areas to rural areas could be a good solution for the issues of traffic congestion and housing in major cities. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?Write at least 250 words.
Relocating major businesses and their workers from cities to rural areas could help with traffic and housing, but it is only a partial solution, not a complete ...
05
Relocating big businesses and industries and their workers from urban areas to rural areas could be a good solution for the issues of traffic congestion and housing in major cities. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?Write at least 250 words.
Relocating big businesses and industries and their workers from urban areas to rural areas could be a good solution for the issues of traffic congestion and hou...
06
Relocating big businesses and industries and their workers from urban areas to rural areas could be a good solution for the issues of traffic congestion and housing in major cities. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?Write at least 250 words.
Ther is no denying the fact that relocating big businesses and industries and their workers from urban areas to rural areas could be a good solution for the iss...