It has always been the case that in certain ways our lives are intertwined with the lives of others. However, in the modern era, some people believe that dependency between people has increased, whereas others believe that people have grown to be more independent. One reason that people think we are more dependent on each other is because of our reliance on others to provide a positive image of ourselves. People are bombarded these days with pictures of beautiful models and people who seem to have perfect lives. Many people therefore feel the need to such as Facebook and Instagram, in order to post pictures and they need others to get as many ‘likes’ as possible. In addition to this, because of the lives some families lead, it is argued they are dependent on others to support them, such as with grandparents helping to take care of their grandchildren because the parents have time. that people are generally more independent. This can be seen in the way that so many people live away from their families and lead their own lives. For example, families used to live , but nowadays people often reside in their parents and siblings or in other countries, seeing each other only rarely in some cases. people prefer more privacy than in the past and do not require help from others, seen in the way that neighbours these days often do not know each other or interact at all. In , although in certain ways people are more dependent, it is generally the case that people now live more independent lives. Only over time will it be this is a positive or negative development for society.
Are People Today More Dependent or Independent?
Some people think that individuals today are more dependent on each other. Others believe people have become more independent. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Annotated response
12 correction notes
Overall assessment
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response clearly addresses both views and presents a well-developed personal opinion, supported with relevant examples such as social media validation and living far from family. The strongest aspect is the controlled, fluent language and clear organisation; the main limitation is occasional imprecision, including a garbled concluding phrase and a few awkward collocations.
IELTS criteria
How each score was decided
Task Response
7.0The response addresses all parts of the task, presenting a clear position with well-supported main ideas, though the opening and closing are slightly generic and development of some points could extend further.
Coherence and Cohesion
7.0Ideas are logically organised across clear paragraphs with a range of cohesive devices used naturally, despite a minor breakdown in the final sentence.
Lexical Resource
7.0Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible and precise, with natural collocations like 'bombarded' and 'hectic', though occasional awkward phrasing such as 'live nearby to each other' appears.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
7.0A good range of structures is used with frequent error-free sentences, including complex forms like 'Only over time will it be revealed', with only minor errors such as the omission in 'In , although'.