Urbanization has been a recurring theme in IELTS Writing Task 2, appearing in approximately 15% of recent exam questions. This topic frequently focuses on urban development challenges, population shifts, and quality of life issues. Understanding Rapid population growth in cities: benefits vs. negative impacts is crucial for IELTS candidates.
Recent Exam Question Analysis
Many cities around the world are growing in size, leading to housing shortages and increased living costs. What problems does this create? What solutions can you suggest?
Task Analysis
- Topic: Urban growth and its consequences
- Focus: Problems and solutions
- Key areas: Housing, cost of living, social impact
- Requirements: Discuss both problems and propose viable solutions
Band 8.5 Sample Essay
Living in major urban centers has become increasingly challenging as impact of urban living on health becomes more evident. The rapid expansion of cities worldwide has created significant housing crises and economic strain for residents. This essay will examine these challenges and propose potential remedies.
The primary consequences of urban growth are multifaceted. Foremost, the severe shortage of affordable housing forces many residents to live in substandard conditions or far from city centers. In Mumbai, for instance, over 40% of the population resides in informal settlements due to prohibitive housing costs. Additionally, the rising cost of living affects everything from basic necessities to transportation, creating financial stress for middle and lower-income families.
Several viable solutions could address these urban challenges. Governments should implement strict regulations on property speculation and vacant properties to prevent artificial price inflation. Moreover, investing in sustainable urban planning and public transportation infrastructure can help distribute population density more evenly across metropolitan areas. Cities like Singapore have successfully demonstrated how integrated housing policies and public transportation can create more livable urban environments.
In conclusion, while urban growth presents significant challenges, proactive policy measures and strategic planning can help create more sustainable and affordable cities for all residents.
Band 6.5 Sample Essay
Many cities are getting bigger these days, and this creates problems with housing and living costs. This essay will discuss these problems and some possible solutions.
The main problem is that there isn’t enough housing for everyone. When more people move to cities, house prices go up a lot. This means many people cannot afford to buy or rent homes. Another problem is that everything becomes more expensive. Food, transport, and other daily needs cost more money in big cities.
I think there are some ways to solve these problems. First, the government should build more houses and apartments. They can also make rules to stop house prices from going up too much. Second, they should help poor people by giving them money to pay rent. Some cities already do this and it works well.
To sum up, city growth makes housing difficult to find and expensive to buy. But if governments take action, they can help solve these problems. More houses and help for poor people are good solutions.
Score Analysis
Band 8.5 Essay Strengths:
- Sophisticated vocabulary and complex structures
- Clear organization with cohesive devices
- Specific examples and detailed analysis
- Balanced discussion of problems and solutions
- Academic tone throughout
Band 6.5 Essay Limitations:
- Simple vocabulary and basic sentence structures
- Limited use of examples
- Basic development of ideas
- Less formal tone
- Repetitive language
Key Vocabulary
- multifaceted (adj.) /ˌmʌl.tiˈfeɪ.sɪ.tɪd/ – having many different aspects or features
- prohibitive (adj.) /prəˈhɪb.ɪ.tɪv/ – so high or great as to prevent someone from doing something
- speculation (n.) /ˌspek.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ – the buying of something hoping its value will increase
- infrastructure (n.) /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ – basic systems and services necessary for a country or organization
- sustainable (adj.) /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/ – able to continue over a period of time
For additional insights into urban living challenges, explore Small town vs. big city living.
Practice Suggestion
Write your own essay addressing this question: “Should governments focus on expanding existing cities or building new ones to address urban overcrowding?” Share your response in the comments section for feedback and discussion.