Plan this discussion essay about globalisation 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:
Some people think technology has brought people closer together across the world. Others think it has made people more isolated.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
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.
Technology allows us to contact people anywhere in the world instantly, but opinions differ on whether this has made us closer or more isolated. In my view, it has done both, and the outcome depends on how people use it.
Those who believe technology unites people have good arguments. Video calls and messaging apps allow families separated by migration to see and talk to each other daily, which was impossible a few decades ago. Online platforms also let people with a shared interest, whether in a rare illness, a hobby or a language, form global communities and support one another. Information is shared immediately, so people in different countries can follow the same events and learn about each other's lives.
On the other hand, critics argue that technology has reduced real contact. Many people spend their free time looking at screens instead of speaking face to face, and friends sitting together at a table may be busy with their own phones. Online relationships can be shallow, based on likes and short comments rather than real understanding, and some users feel lonelier despite having hundreds of contacts. People may even know more about celebrities abroad than about the neighbours who live next door, which weakens local communities.
I believe that technology is a tool, and its effect depends on the user. If people use video calls to keep in touch with distant relatives and then also make time to meet friends and neighbours in person, they gain the benefits of both. Problems arise when digital contact replaces personal contact entirely.
In conclusion, technology has brought the world closer in terms of communication, yet it can isolate people who rely on it too much, so balance is essential.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| instant communication | immediate contact |
| stay in touch | keep contact |
| virtual communities | groups that meet online |
| social isolation | lack of contact |
| borderless | without limits between countries |
| digital divide | gap between those with and without technology |
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.