Plan this two-part essay about cities with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Cities in many parts of the world are becoming increasingly crowded.
What are the main reasons for this? What can be done to make cities better places to live?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Cities around the world are becoming more crowded. This essay will explain the main reasons for this and suggest how urban areas can remain pleasant places to live.
The primary reason is migration from rural areas. Cities offer better jobs, higher wages, hospitals and universities, so millions of people leave villages where farming no longer supports them. Lagos and Dhaka, for instance, grow by hundreds of thousands of residents every year. A second factor is natural population growth: improved healthcare means that more babies survive and people live longer, which swells the number of residents even without migration. Finally, as economies modernise, industry and services concentrate in cities, creating more employment and attracting still more people.
Making crowded cities liveable requires planning in several areas. Housing is the most urgent issue. Governments can encourage the construction of affordable apartments, and build tall residential blocks near workplaces to use land efficiently. Transport also needs attention: efficient metros, buses and cycle lanes reduce congestion and pollution, so residents can move around without owning a car. Green space should be protected, because parks provide room to relax and help to keep cities cool. At the same time, authorities should reduce pressure on large cities by developing smaller towns and rural regions, creating jobs and services there so that people do not feel obliged to move. South Korea has attempted this by relocating government departments away from Seoul.
In conclusion, migration, population growth and the concentration of economic activity explain why cities are overcrowded. With good housing policy, efficient public transport, protected green areas and balanced regional development, cities can remain comfortable places to live despite their size.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| overcrowding | too many people in one place |
| urbanisation | growth of cities |
| decentralisation | spreading power or activity |
| satellite town | smaller town near a city |
| regional development | improving areas outside capitals |
| liveable city | city that is pleasant to live in |
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.
Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.