This Band 6 IELTS essay on living alone examines both the positives and negatives of this growing trend. Key issues include unclear arguments and structural flaws, which can hinder overall clarity. By addressing these areas, you can enhance your writing and potentially improve your band score.
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 meets the minimum word count (280 words) and addresses the topic by discussing both positive and negative aspects of living alone. However, the position is not clearly developed, and the argument lacks depth and relevant supporting examples. The structure is somewhat logical but paragraphing could be improved. Vocabulary is adequate but contains noticeable errors in spelling and word choice. Grammar is mixed with errors that occasionally affect clarity, though the message is generally understandable.
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People are living alone because of the perks that come along with it" title="Correction: perks that come along with it">perks that comes along with it. Although, living alone has number of drawbacks, the trend is growing gradually higher. In this essay, i will discuss the positives and the negatives of this trend, and try to come to a conclusion upon analyzing both sides.
Primarily, living alone gives you freedom, that is one of the essential elements that an individual must have, grow up to their true potential" title="Correction: to grow up to their true potential">to grow up-to their true potential. Freedom enables us to experience newer situations, culture, traditions, diversity or uncertainity in life. For example, in earlier time, Pleto, Socrates used to believe the ultimate wisdom lies within the art of knowing oneself deeper.
On the other hand, living alone also motivates certain negative aspects such as the lack of social interaction, lack of joy and fullfilment. This leads to the individual being depressed over a longer period of time and results in numerious psychological and physical downsides. For instance, a study shows that people living alone has a 10-15 years shorter life span compared to people who live with their family.
In my point of view, living alone totally depends on certain personality, goals, needs of an individual. Furthermore, depending on how an individual is managing the hurdles or the upsides of living alone can lead to drastical improvements in life or the other way around. it really depends on lots of parameters and can vary in a wide spectrum.
In conclusion, the trend, living alone can be beneficial upto certain limits and can have both positive or negative impacts on one's lives. the outcome significantly depends on the how the person act on it and where they want to leads them to.
AI Feedback Report Details
Spelling · Grammar · Vocabulary · Criteria Analysis
Spelling Mistakes
7 errors| Misspelled Word | Corrected Word |
|---|---|
| uncertainity | uncertainty |
| Pleto | Plato |
| fullfilment | fulfillment |
| numerious | numerous |
| drastical | drastic |
| up-to | up to |
| upto | up to |
Grammatical Mistakes
11 errors| Mistake | Correction | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| perks that comes along with it | perks that come along with it | Subject-verb agreement: 'perks' is plural, so 'come' should be used. |
| Although, living alone has number of drawbacks | Although living alone has a number of drawbacks | Remove comma after 'Although' and add article 'a' before 'number'. |
| i will discuss | I will discuss | Pronoun 'I' should be capitalized. |
| gives you freedom, that is one of the essential elements | gives you freedom, which is one of the essential elements | Use 'which' for non-restrictive clauses instead of 'that'. |
| to grow up-to their true potential | to grow up to their true potential | 'up to' should be written as two words without hyphen. |
| in earlier time | in earlier times | 'time' should be plural to refer to a period in the past. |
| Pleto, Socrates used to believe | Plato and Socrates believed | Correct names and use past tense without 'used to' for historical facts. |
| people living alone has a 10-15 years shorter life span | people living alone have a 10-15 year shorter lifespan | Subject-verb agreement: 'people' is plural, so 'have' not 'has'. Also, 'year' should be singular in compound adjectives. |
| on one's lives | on one's life | 'one's' is singular, so 'life' should be singular. |
| the how the person act on it | how the person acts on it | Remove 'the' before 'how' and use 'acts' for subject-verb agreement with 'person'. |
| where they want to leads them to | where they want to be led | 'leads' should be 'lead' after 'to', and rephrase for clarity. |
Vocabulary Improvements
12 suggestions| Original Word/Phrase | Improved Word/Phrase | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| perks | advantages | 'perks' is informal; 'advantages' is more academic. |
| comes along with it | accompanies it | Informal phrasing; 'accompanies it' is more formal. |
| grow up to their true potential | reach their true potential | 'reach' is more precise than 'grow up to'. |
| newer situations | new situations | 'newer' is comparative and might be vague; 'new' is sufficient. |
| motivates negative aspects | gives rise to negative aspects | Incorrect collocation; 'motivates' is typically used for positive encouragement. |
| downsides | disadvantages | 'downsides' is informal; 'disadvantages' is more formal. |
| a study shows | research indicates | Vague; 'research indicates' is more academic. |
| In my point of view | From my perspective | Informal; 'From my perspective' is more appropriate. |
| totally | entirely | 'totally' is informal; 'entirely' is more formal. |
| the other way around | conversely | Informal; 'conversely' is more academic. |
| lots of parameters | many factors | 'lots of' is informal; 'many factors' is more precise. |
| wide spectrum | broad spectrum | 'broad spectrum' is a more common collocation. |
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Detailed Criteria Feedback
AI-powered analysis for each scoring criterion
Task Response
6
Evaluation
The essay addresses all parts of the task but does not present a fully developed position. The writer discusses both sides and gives a personal view, but the argument is not extended with clear, relevant examples. The conclusion is vague.
Examples
The example of Plato and Socrates is used to support the idea of freedom and self-knowledge, but the connection to living alone is weak. The statistic about life expectancy is relevant but not elaborated.
How to Improve
Clearly state your opinion in the introduction and maintain it throughout the essay. Develop each main idea with detailed explanations and specific, relevant examples. Ensure that all examples directly support your argument about living alone.
Coherence and Cohesion
6
Evaluation
The essay is organized into paragraphs, but the logical progression of ideas is sometimes unclear. Cohesive devices are used but could be more varied and effective. Paragraphing is not entirely logical.
Examples
The fourth paragraph introduces a new point about personality and goals, which might be better integrated into the conclusion. The transition from the introduction to body paragraphs is abrupt, and some sentences lack clear connections.
How to Improve
Use a clearer overall structure: introduction, body paragraphs each focusing on one main idea (e.g., positives, negatives, and personal view), and a conclusion. Use a wider range of linking words (e.g., 'furthermore', 'however', 'consequently') to show relationships. Ensure each paragraph has a clear central topic and that ideas flow smoothly.
Lexical Resource
6
Evaluation
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and sophistication. There are several spelling and word formation errors, which occasionally impede readability.
Examples
Misspellings: 'fullfilment' (fulfillment), 'numerious' (numerous), 'drastical' (dramatic), 'uncertainity' (uncertainty). Awkward word choices: 'grow up-to their true potential' (grow to their true potential), 'perks that comes along' (perks that come along).
How to Improve
Expand your vocabulary by reading widely and noting collocations. Use a dictionary to check spelling and usage. Practice using less common words accurately in context, and proofread to correct errors in word formation.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
6
Evaluation
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors in subject-verb agreement, articles, punctuation, and capitalization. These errors sometimes affect clarity.
Examples
Incorrect capitalization: 'i' (I). Subject-verb agreement: 'people living alone has' (have). Article omission: 'has number of drawbacks' (a number). Punctuation: 'Although,' (no comma after 'although' in this context). Run-on sentence in the fourth paragraph.
How to Improve
Review basic grammar rules, especially subject-verb agreement, articles, and sentence structure. Practice writing complex sentences with correct punctuation. Proofread your essays to identify and correct errors, and consider using grammar check tools for practice.
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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