Today more and more people are using mobile phones and computers. Thus, people are losing the ability to communicate face to face.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Today more and more people are using mobile phones and computers. Thus, people are losing the ability to communicate face to face.

Mobile Phones Computers Losing Ability Communicate Face to Face - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 6 ยท 294 words.

There is an argument that a multitude of people around the world tend to use their cellphones and personal computers in order to contact with others, which leads to the lack of communication skills among them. I partially agree with this assumption, as it is easier to text and people feel more comfortable if they do not talk in person.

One of the primary reasons why individuals do not prefer talking with people face to face is that texting appeals to them. They can edit their text messages without any efforts or choose words carefully, which they are unable to do when they have conversations personally. In addition to this, they are scared of eye contact that they should keep while speaking. It is mainly due to the fact that numerous people become intimidated while conversing with people they are only acquaintance with. Nowadays, netizens ask ChatGPT to write even the easiest statements for them, since they do not want to think for words, which can be time-consuming for them.

On the other hand, a considerable number of people reckon that people are not becoming anti-social because of electronic gadgets. They video call people as if they also talk in person showing their emotions even though it is online. Moreover, it is undeniable that it can be due to their own personality that they are not fond of socialising. Such people choose not to have dialogues with people even on social media. To exemplify, there are more introverted people compared to talkative people around the world.

In conclusion, even though phones and computers have an impact on people's skills in communicating, there are applications that assisst in video calling and it should be taken into consideration that people themselves might be unsociable by nature.

Examiner feedback

The essay demonstrates a good understanding of the prompt and provides a balanced view. While the arguments are relevant and the language is clear, the score is limited by some repetitive sentence structures and a need for deeper development of the central argument regarding the 'loss' of ability. Overall, it is a solid performance that meets the requirements of a Band 6.0.

Task Response - 6

- Addresses all parts of the task and presents a relevant position throughout the response. - The main ideas are relevant (editing texts, fear of eye contact, video calling, introversion), but some points could be more fully developed. - The conclusion summarizes the main points but could more clearly state the final stance on whether the ability to communicate is actually being 'lost'.

Coherence & Cohesion - 6

- Information is arranged coherently and there is a clear overall progression from the introduction to the conclusion. - Cohesive devices like 'In addition to this' and 'On the other hand' are used effectively, though some transitions feel a bit mechanical. - Paragraphing is used, but the internal logic of the second body paragraph is slightly weakened by mixing the impact of gadgets with innate personality traits.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, including terms like 'intimidated', 'netizens', and 'undeniable'. - There are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'contact with others' (contact others) and 'think for words' (think of words). - Spelling is generally accurate, with minor slips like 'assisst'.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- Uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'which they are unable to do when they have conversations personally.' - Grammar and punctuation are generally well-controlled, though there are occasional errors like 'people they are only acquaintance with' and 'assisst'. - Errors rarely reduce communication, but the range of structures remains somewhat limited to standard complex sentences.

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