Positive or Negative Development: IELTS Model Essay

An IELTS model essay for positive or negative development questions. It is common in IELTS writing task 2 to be asked to choose either something is a positive or negative development/trend. Your task is to answer the question in the introduction and explain your answer in the body paragraphs.

These instructions are asking for your opinion so it is important that you give it clearly. If you fail to present a position of your own (a view point), you will have failed to complete the task and that will affect your score.

IELTS Positive Negative Essay Question

Nowadays, more people are choosing to socialise online rather than face to face. Is this a positive or negative development?

IELTS Model Essay: Positive or Negative Development?

An increasing number of people meet and talk to their friends online instead of in person. In my opinion, this is a negative development which can lead to isolation, potentially harmful situations and also problems later on in life.

One serious problem that can arise from people socialising online is that it can lead to isolation. Before the internet, people would frequently go out to meet friends, for example in cafes, bars or restaurants, whereas now people prefer to stay at home alone, chatting online. As a result, people are starting to spend the majority of their time alone at home in their room without meeting others. Isolation of this kind is not healthy and can sometimes lead to depression and other issues.

Another issue is that meeting people online can be risky. In other words, people can assume fake identities online as well as hide their true characteristics. This is particularly concerning for teenagers who are impressionable and can easily be led into dangerous situations. Furthermore, as this interaction is online, parents have no way of monitoring it and protecting their children.

Finally, socialising online can end in difficulties years later as conversations and shared photos that had been forgotten reappear. This situation is currently critical for many people, again especially for teenagers who do not think carefully before posting online. That is to say, information which is put online can remain there forever and while people may share intimate communications with close friends, these words can then resurface later on leading to much embarrassment.

In conclusion, although it has become more popular for people to socialise through the internet, it has brought about too many problems for this to be considered a positive trend.

Examiner’s Comments: This essay provides a clear answer to the essay question. The position is clearly presented in the introduction and also explained and supported throughout the essay. Linking devices are well used and ideas are organised logically. Language is flexible and accurate. This would reach band 9. (Word count = 286)

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Comments

  1. hey can you evaluate this prompt.
    In many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

    During the past few decades, there has been an increasing trend of people moving to urban areas and the number of people residing in backward areas is declining. This, in my opinion, is a negative development and several problems arise because of an increased number of residents in the city, such as traffic congestion and struggle for basic facilities.

    People are shifting to cities due to a number of reasons, but a massive crowd in metropolises creates significant walls. Firstly, when people move to cities, it decreases population in the countryside and the farming and agriculture also face problems because less number of people tend to pursue these fields. Secondly, people rushing towards urban areas contributes to traffic congestion because a majority of people commute to work and as a result, the number of vehicles on the road increases, leading to pollution as well as congestion. For example, Lahore is densely populated and has been ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world for the last few decades.

    Another ramification of migrating to metropolitan areas is that people have to strive to find even basic amenities at a reasonable price. For example, rents of houses rise because living spaces to accommodate a large number of people are not available. On the other hand, people living in the countryside are safe from such hurdles because there is less competition and the atmosphere is calm and pollution free.
    To conclude people preferring to stay in cities lead to problems in terms of environmental as well as congestion.

    • Although my website does not offer a feedback or marking service, I will give you a couple of points to consider.
      1) Be careful with your choice words. The countryside is not necessarily “backwards”. This is a misinterpretation of the word rural. Also review the use of “people shifting” to certain areas (this is not a good word choice) and also “creates walls” also isn’t advisable. When it comes to choosing words, aims for precise meaning and 100% accuracy – never aim to impress. Accuracy is the only way to hit band score 7 and above.
      2) Each body paragraph must be equally as developed as the others. You can’t have one shorter than another.
      3) A high band score IELTS essay should have between 270 and 290 words. Writing only 258 words doesn’t allow enough development of main points.
      4) Make sure each body paragraph contains either one central theme or one specific main point – never two.
      See this page for all my free tips, practice lessons and model essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/. Make sure to review the page about essay structure and paragraphing which is linked on that main page.
      And here is a link to my store with advanced lessons to help you further: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

  2. Ibrahim gadli says

    liz I actually meant to say one sided view- that’s what I meant when I said an approach which is not balanced.

    • In reply to your comment previously and this above. This essay type is more comparable to the “advantages outweigh disadvantages” essay.

      • hello, Liz. I would like to know if it’s possible to have a balanced view in positive and negative type of essay questions

        • A balanced view is one that neither fully agrees nor fully disagrees. With a positive negative essay, a balanced view is one that is neither 100% positive nor 100% negative. For example, you could say that aspect A is positive yet aspect B is negative. This means it is a quantified approach where you are stating precisely what aspect is positive and precisely what aspect is negative. A balanced view is not when you sit on the fence – that is a discussion essay. A balanced view must have a clear opinion which can be measured, supported and explained in detail. Not all essays are suitable for a balanced view – it depends on the topic and issues given.

  3. Ibrahim gadli says

    hi liz, is positive negative essay comparable to an opinion essay(the one which does not use balanced approach)

    • I’m not sure what you mean by “the one that doesn’t use a balanced approach”. When you give your opinion in an IELTS essay, it can be any opinion you want. If it is a balanced view (which does not mean sitting on the fence), then you can have it. A balanced view is simply a view that neither fully agrees nor fully disagrees – but it doesn’t sit on the fence and has a very specific view point. The positive/negative essay is a Direct Question essay which requires your opinion. Please see the essay types which are linked on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

  4. Junaid Zaman says

    This is a reply to your advice below.
    You are absolutely right, Liz. I actually thought of approaching it this way: ‘I believe that it should be obligatory for people with a high level of income to donate, while those below the poverty line should not.’

    The reason I approached it my way (the incorrect way) was because I had doubts about including a topic that wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the question. Similar to how you handled an opinion question about health, where you said, ‘I agree that exercise is one way to tackle the problem, but diet must also be taken into consideration,’ even though diet wasn’t mentioned in the question.

    Now, I understand better. The main focus of your question was whether exercise is the best way to deal with health problems, and you introduced diet as another way to address that issue.

    In my case, it’s different because the question wasn’t about donating to a specific charity. It asked whether all people should donate a part of their income. If the question had been something like, ‘People should donate only to orphanages,’ I could have responded by saying, ‘People should donate to orphanages but also to old age homes and to help feed hungry children in Africa.’
    I hope my understanding has improved now. I’m a bit nervous about writing, but your help is really boosting my confidence.

    • Yes, you’ve understood. You’ve understood that the essay about exercise for health was actually an opinion about the solution to health problems and this allowed us to say we agree with this solution, but another solution also needs to be implemented at the same time.

      With this essay, if it had been specific about the actual charity, you could have tackled – why that charity and not another. So, you could have said yes to that charity but lets not forget about this other charity.

      However, this essay was only about people donating part of their salary as a matter of fixed policy (the fixed policy being implied) so you could have agreed or taken a partial agreement of – yes, people over X salary should donate, but not people with a low income. Then you would explain why in the body paragraphs.

      I’m glad you are learning more and more. Eventually, you will have prepared enough topics and essay questions to be ready with that flexibility of mind as well as being ready to analyse the question for a deeper insight into the topic.

  5. Junaid Zaman says

    Hello Liz!
    Last week I asked you a question about how to give a partially balanced answer to a question without turning it into an advantage/disadvantage question.
    I did practice a lot and can you just see if I am answering questions more accurately now.

    Q) Social media provides a convenient outlet for people to vent their negative feelings about a situation or a person. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

    My intro) Social media offers an easy platform for individuals to express their negative feelings about a situation or someone. In my opinion, whether it is positive or negative depends on the tone of the person.

    Then explain if they comment respectfully and kindly to criticize others, it will have benefits.
    And if they comment rudely and spread hate based on inaccurate information, it will have a negative impact.

    And can I answer “do you agree” questions like this?

    Q)Computers and smartphones will be the death of handwriting, grammar and spelling. Do you agree?

    Ans)Computers and smartphones may lead to the decline of handwriting, grammar, and spelling skills. In my opinion, I agree that it will negatively impact our writing skills, but it will make the process less time-consuming and more accurate.

    Because this feels like it will be an advantage/disadvantage type answer now. But I feel, it does accurately answer the question. So is it fine?

    • With your approach to the first example for the positive negative essay, you’ve hit the nail on the head! It’s very clear and your body paragraphs will definitely explain your opinion with clarity.
      with your approach to the Opinion Essay, there are a couple of issues:
      1) when you write your background statement that way, it looks like your own opinion. So, you must differentiate it from your thesis statement by writing “some people think that…” or “it is often thought that …” – this way, your thesis statement because an answer to this comment and it all makes sense.
      2) your thesis statement isn’t so clear. It would be better to write

      “In my opinion, while using such gadgets will negatively impact handwriting, they will still allow people to write with accuracy.” (the word accuracy does refer to grammar and spelling in this context).

      Your problem is that you paraphrased “handwriting” for “writing skills” – that is not a paraphrase with the same meaning. When you say it will have a negative impact on writing skills – this will include spelling and grammar. So, if you are referring to only handwriting, then you must use that word. I try to teach people again and again the importance of not altering words without very serious consideration because if the paraphrase is poor, it can destroy the whole essay.

      • Junaid Zaman says

        Thank you so so so much!!!
        I understand it so well now.
        Oh for the second question, I did want to paraphrase handwriting, spelling and grammar as writing skills.
        So basically, I wanted to approach it this way. In the first paragraph, I will explain how the preference for typing out of laziness has negatively impacted our handwriting, as well as how autocorrect has affected our knowledge of grammar and spelling.
        In the second paragraph, I will explain how typing saves time, and how apps like Grammarly help us be more accurate. Even A.I. tools like ChatGPT allow us to generate more ideas.
        Is this approach wrong?
        It didn’t occur to me to think of answering it your way, but now I totally understand your method.
        Thank you so much for your time.

        • I understand your aim now. The issue is that you can’t say technology makes our grammar worse and it also makes it better. Choose one or the other for an IELTS essay or it gets confusing. If AI tools make our grammar accurate, it makes no difference if we ourselves lose this knowledge because it is given back to us. So, for the purpose of this essay, you’ve confused the reader – our grammar is worse, but it’s also accurate. This is why I got confused with your thesis statement. The examiner would have the same confusion. You can’t afford for any confusion. Be more clear cut so that ideas are unique and different in each body paragraph. Before you decide on your main points, check that none of them clash or contradict the other. Try your thesis again but this time with a slightly different opinion that doesn’t confuse. Also, you’ve got one paragraph about handwriting, vocabulary and grammar which are worse and then one body paragraph that grammar is more accurate. Think about it – it isn’t the best approach for a clear cut essay that avoids difficulty. Try again 🙂

          • Junaid Zaman says

            That is so true. It is quite a confusing approach.
            In this case, I will write the essay in your way. It is quite simple and I can easily develop ideas.
            I should be more careful about my ideas being unique and not contradicting.
            Thank you, Liz!!!! You are helping me so much.

            • You’ve got it. The way you present ideas needs to be simple. The ideas themselves don’t need to be fancy or interesting or unusual because those things are not marked. Ideas only have to be relevant, easy to follow and well-explained (and not overlapping). Each body paragraph should stand out from the others. Keep your logical mind at all times.

              • Junaid Zaman says

                Hello Liz. So sorry to disturb you again. Please answer whenever you are free. So I followed your advice and practised some more essays.
                Q) People should donate part of their income to charity. Do you agree?
                My intro)It is often thought that people should make donation from a portion of their income to charity. While I agree that donating to charity is important, I also believe they should make donations toward the development of the world.

                I kept it simple and very easy to have unique ideas.

                But the doubt I keep having is whether it’s fine to answer this way, where I add something not directly mentioned in the question, like ‘donation toward the development of the world.’ The question mentions donations, but I introduced the idea of development. In my opinion, it’s fine because the main focus of the question is about donations. I came up with this approach after reading your sample agree/disagree essay.

                • I don’t know what you mean by “development for the world” – are you referring to giving money to the government or is this is a volunteer organisation – who, in your mind, is going to control all the money that you plan to take from all working people? The phrase and idea aren’t clear at all. It sounds like another form of charitable donation which is on a wider scale. This essay isn’t really about what you think people should do with their income and whether they should give their money to the world’s economy or Fred Brown who lives down the road – this essay about whether it is right to take out a portion of their money (to do good deeds) without their consent (ie it is obligatory). If you agree that people should donate part of their money, it means it is a policy and all people should do it. Are you sure about that? Do you think people on a low income should give a portion of their money to charity? Do you think people below the poverty line should do it? How much of your money that you work hard for are you willing to give personally?

                  Be very careful about developing a strategy for approaching IELTS essays that is a fixed method for each topic. Flexibility and deeper thinking is often needed. The most important thing is to spend time deeply thinking about implications of the topic. An Opinion Essay is based on an opinion given to you from IELTS that is usually too extreme, slightly flawed, not well thought-out etc – it’s your job to think about the suggestion in the question, and be logical and rational about it in your response. This is why I don’t like teachers who tell people to take the same approach in all essays (and that applies to answers in the speaking test as well) – you need to learn different ways to approach things and learn flexibility to hit those high band scores.

  6. Kimmy says

    Hi, Liz!
    Is it possible for you to check out my essay? If not, it’s okay. I hope you take care and thank you so much for providing the best IELTS lessons for free!

    Recently, many people have preferred to meet with others online rather than in person. In my opinion, this is a negative development that could lead to isolation and being dependent on technology.

    One serious problem that arises from people preferring to socialize online is isolation. This is because they are glued to their screens most of the time, ignoring their surroundings and the people near them. There is no spare time to bond with family and friends in person, which leads to feeling left out and alone. For example, going outdoors with friends for a simple walk or doing sports can have a positive impact on a person’s mood. However, they find it difficult to stop meeting people online since hiding behind their screens gives them a false sense of identity, which results in fake confidence and online dependency.

    Another issue that stems from talking and meeting people on the internet is becoming dependent on technology. If their computers, laptops, or phones break one day, they do not know how to interact in person since they are used to communicating online. For example, they cannot express their feelings well in person compared to typing what they want to say. There is no healthy balance between socializing online and offline which has its own consequences.

    In conclusion, the internet is being used recently to communicate with people more often than in person. Problems arise from this such as being isolated from family and friends who are near and turning to technology as the only means of socialization. There should be a healthy balance between spending time with people that you love offline and interacting online.

    • My website isn’t aimed at providing feedback but I will make a quick comment so that you and others can learn more. You have excellent English and the potential to really nail IELTS. Be careful of having a conclusion longer than your introduction. It is usually shorter than the introduction. So, pay attention to that in my model essays on this website. You can find more model essays on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/.

      However, there is a more serious problem with a lack of direction in your body paragraphs and disconnected supporting points. Your topic sentence said that your main point was about isolation. But then you talk about having no time for people and ignoring surroundings (those two points aren’t actually directly connected to isolation which is your main point). You can see the connection in your own mind, but you haven’t connected these points to in writing inside the sentence. IELTS isn’t just about having ideas, it’s about connecting those ideas and presenting them according to IELTS band score requirements.

      1) ignoring surroundings….”Socialising online not only isolates people from each other, but also isolates people from the outside world. In other words, the lack of time people spend being outside in nature because they are glued to their gadgets has a huge impact on their mental health which can lead to depression and other chronic illnesses.”

      – As you see, I’ve now connected the idea of the outside world to the main point which is isolation.

      IELTS writing isn’t just about good English. It’s 50% about writing skills and techniques for IELTS. Now you know how you must improve to hit band 8 or 8.5 or even 9. Either review my free model essays (link above) or get my advanced lessons to help you focus: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/.

  7. Rishiraj Dogra says

    Dear Liz,

    I have my exam in four day’s time, could you please check my response and provide me a score to the essay question.

    In today’s world, people are preferring to socialize online as compared to meet each other like earlier days. In my opinion, it is a negative development as both the persons involved in socialization can get misguided, addicted and develop trust issues.

    Misguidance can occur in myriad ways. An imposter can post a fake profile, a fake photo or even a fake description which can misguide the person socializing on the internet. As internet is open to people of varying age groups, young children being at tender age and easily gullible are influenced easily. Their ability to challenge is not formed and are at age where they refuse to listen to their elders making them even more vulnerable.

    The other issue with socializing online is addiction to the internet and harming one’s own health. There has been a trend where children are always glued to the screens. This has not only affected their physical health but also mental health. Their ability to use own brain and take part in various activity has been significantly reduced making them a ‘couch potato’. Young children are getting obese and are acquiring lifestyle diseases.

    To resolve the growing issue of people socializing online than offline, children should be encouraged from an early age to do a physical activity and an environment should be created for them to adopt a hobby where they direct their energies. Parents should also take an active part in child’s growth and the discipling should not be left to television or screens.

    • Just a few quick points:
      1) you mentioned three reasons why it is negative in your introduction, but had only two main points for body paragraphs. This will lower your score. The points you mention in the thesis must reflect your body paragraphs which cover each point. This usually means you wrote your introduction before you planned your body paragraphs and supporting points. Never write one word until your whole essay is fully planned.
      2) you lack a conclusion which will be a huge problem for your band score. Putting solutions in a final paragraph when the task never asked for solutions anyway, does not count as a conclusion. Your conclusion must summarise your main points.
      I strongly suggest you get my advanced writing task 2 lessons and learn the right way to tackle IELTS essays. There’s a discount on for the next few days: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

  8. Alex Z says

    Hi Liz, if the question ask to what entent it is an advantge and disadvantge, do I discuss both sides or give my opinion?

    • The questions are:
      To what extend do you agree or disagree?
      What are the advantage or disadvantages?
      Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? or Are the advantages more important than the disadvantages?

      The first one is an Opinion Essay and your whole essay is about your opinion.
      The second requires you to give both sides
      The last one asks you to evaluate both with an opinion.

      Make sure you don’t confuse wording and that you understand which essay type you are tackling. See my advanced lessons for detailed training. You can find them in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

  9. in the question there was no request to give your opinion, but you still wrote “in my opinion” i don’t understand IELTS ☠️

    • There was a clear request for an opinion in the instructions. If you are asked to choose between two options, it will require your personal choice (that means, your opinion). See the main writing task 2 page of this website and you’ll find a link to “When to give your opinion in writing task 2”: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

      • Mr Appleby says

        Dear Liz, first of all, many thanks for the countless effort you’ve put into the content of this website!
        I’m a bit confused about the ”positive or negative development” subtype of essay: your advanced material catalogues this kind of question as being another variant of advantages and disadvantages; however, in the aforementioned example you’ve made it pretty clear on which side of the fence you at. I can’t figure out why then an opinion essay backbone was used here instead of the regular A vs D model?
        Fair wind to all the candidates!

        • This is definitely not an essay similar to “what are the advantages and disadvantages?”. That essay requires no opinion at all. The essay “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages” is an essay which does require an opinion and so does the positive negative essay – but they are not the same essay type. They are different, even though they both require an answer based on your personal opinion. The essay “Is this a positive or negative development” is one that I call a direct question essay and I don’t have an advanced lesson for it yet, but I will be making one soon.

  10. hi I have a question . when it said that positive or negative trend/ development
    is this an agree/disagree question or an advatages /disadvantages question?

    • It is a positive/negative trend essay question. It is a different essay type with one single question that you must answer.

  11. Hi Liz, Thank you so much for your content. I wish you all the best! Thanks to your lessons, I got an 8.5 overall and 8.0 for Writing. I just can’t believe it! Thank you so much!

  12. Alisena Danishwer says

    Hello
    Dear Madam:
    It’s my essay about this title that you provided.
    Could you please reply me, is it a good way that I should write?
    Thank you.

    These days an increase number of individuals are opting to communicate on the internet instead of meeting each other. In my view, it’s a negative development which bring some obdurate problems and unstable result during their performances.

    Firstly, the most important reason is which in the internet people cannot find trusts to each other. In fact it is very hard to have a stable relation with the public. For instance, when individuals start some conversations such as politics or about some social jobs, which will be difficult to everyone to do completely in a better way. Furthermore a research has shown which doing some talks on the internet not only may not have a good result but also it maybe wasteful of time.

    Secondly, another prominent reason is which individuals may not have relation forever. Clearly having a social correlation physically is better than online. Because on the internet humans are in idiomatic world. On the other hand, if humans may not have access to internet they may miss or interrupt their communications. For example, if people may have meeting on the internet such as in (what s app, Telegram, Twitter and other social media applications which as a result it will not affect effectively whether they visit each other.

    In conclusion, online communications may not be more effective which sometimes it will create unclear result and would be hardship to have relation in all parts of the life. It is a predication which individuals should evolve their visiting in a physical way.

  13. Arjun Garg says

    Hi liz, from India here. Thankyou so muuuuuch for your content!! I got 8 overall, and a 7.5 in writing, the one I always dreaded. I had a question on the causes of (topic) and whether its a positive or negative development combined as a single question. Just days before I went through this particular essay, and I used it to structure my essay. I didn’t expect it to come as it rare to ask this type. Nonetheless, thanks once again!

  14. Asila says

    Hello mam
    Can write an essay introduction without a background statement.

    • No. All good IELTS essays will introduce the topic and specifics of the question which your essay will tackle in a background statement (the first sentence of your essay and of your introduction paragraph).

      • Where are you mam,,,,, I have been missing you for ages,,,, Won’t you back YouTube?

        • As soon as my health is more stable and I’m stronger, I’ll continue making videos. Each year I hope it will happen, but each year my health continues to be an issue. Lets see what happens next year.

  15. Nedjmeeddine says

    The rising numbers of people preferring to socialize online rather that to search for real life connections is perceived as a negative development due to the detrimental effect it had on mental well-being, making it questionable to consider social media as a beneficial invention, highlighting the necessity of face to face communication.

    Firstly, people leaning to make friends and spend time texting online rather than meeting and socializing in real life have shown to be harmful to one’s state of mind, causing people to feel alienated due to the ease of making friends online in contrast with real life, making it a better alternative for a lot of teenagers regardless to the fact that such sites like Facebook and Twitter have the tendency to bring the worst in people, resulting in a hostile environment where many face constant bullying and abuse.

    Such drawbacks made it logical to put social media under the microscope as it proved to have many disadvantages, making it less efficient as an alternative to face to face communication owing to the benefits people gain from real life conversation and overall, real life socializing. a clear example of that, is the rise in popularity, meeting apps are experiencing in the last years, which presented better virtual environment where people can get to know each other, removing many of the useless features other social media apps have, directing people’s attention to setting plans and meeting in real life.

    to conclude, despite the rise of people choosing to use social media sites as an alternative to the real-life old ways of socializing, it’s often seen by many to be nothing but a trend because of it negative effects, as other apps that focus on pushing people to meet provide better outcomes both practically and commercially.

  16. Alex Seok says

    Nowadays, an increasing number of people with
    health problems are using alternative medicines and
    treatments instead of visiting their normal doctor.
    Do you think this is a positive or negative
    development?

    Mam, Will it be okay if I will write the positive
    development means pros of visiting their usual doctors
    in P1, as well as, ( Negetive development means) cons
    of not visiting their usual doctors in P???

    I think these(my above ) both views are almost same.

    Or Is it okay if I write 1 benefit of Visiting their usual
    doctors in P1 and its explanation too with relevant
    examples.And another benefit of same with
    explanations and examples in P2 ?

    Would you mind suggesting me which will be going to
    right?

    Please help me with this. I am little bit confused 😕

    • Try not to change this into an advantage disadvantage essay. It isn’t. It is a direct question essay. It gives you only one issue – people turning to alternative medicines instead of conventional medicine. And it asks you for the positive and negative of this trend. What is positive about people using alternative medicine instead of conventional medicine? What is negative about people using alternative medicine instead of conventional medicine. Those are your two body paragraphs. Always follow the instructions very carefully and don’t try to change the essay type.

  17. Sarah says

    This generation prefers to communicate via social media instead of one-on-one interaction. I believe this trend has resulted in an increased incidence of social isolation and loneliness which is harmful to mental health.

    Firstly, although social media has created a platform where a person can reach another across the globe, it has also increased the incidence of social isolation. People spend more time online interacting with strangers. They would rather spend time with people online than have meaningful conversations with close friends and family. Social isolation and loneliness have been associated with an increased risk of depression and other mental illnesses.

    Secondly, social media has increased the incidence of cyberbullying. Some people connect online to retrieve people’s personal information which they use to incite rumors. These bullies attempt to make their victims self-conscious and insecure. Worst case scenario, these bullies can locate their victims using the information they got online, and at times cause bodily harm to their victims. Cyberbullying has been linked to an increased rate of suicides and suicidal ideation.

    Finally, most teenagers spend the bulk of their time each day online. With time, it is estimated that most young adults will lose their social skills. Humans are social beings. Without social interactions, one of the key components of human existence will be lost.

    To conclude, social media has created a platform to improve connectivity. Ironically, it has instead increased the incidence of social isolation and loneliness. it is estimated that if this trend continues, people will no longer be able to socialize and have meaningful interactions.

  18. Sam says

    Hi Liz,
    I hope you’re doing better than before.
    Thank you for sharing all the great information on this website and on Youtube.
    I just had one doubt regarding this type: What does it mean when you wrote “If you fail to present the position of your own (a view point), you will have failed to complete the task”? Like should I only mention only one side, i.e, positive or negative, because I was thinking we can balance it out too by mentioning both of them?

    Thanks 🙂

    • Liz says

      You need to be careful with your understanding of ” a balanced approach”. You can’t say that one thing is positive and negative at the same time. But you can QUANTIFY. This means you are very very specific about in which why it is positive and in which way it is negative and this is presented in your introduction as your position. Your whole essay will then support your position. Having a clear position is vital. For example: children watching TV – you think it’s positive and negative and your essay discusses this. In this case, you have converted an opinion essay into a discussion essay – you will lose marks. But if you say that watching too much TV is negative, but watching only some educational programs are positive – you now have a position which you will explain in your essay.
      Never take this approach unless you are 100% sure you know what you are doing. Otherwise, you will lose marks.

  19. Hossein says

    Hi Liz,

    Thank you for sharing this great essay. The conclusion paragraph has only one sentence. Can we write a paragraph which contains only one sentence?

    • The conclusion is short and the essay is short. The average IELTS essay contains only around 13 – 15 sentences. That’s a very short essay. This means the introduction and conclusion will be short so that you can extend your body paragraphs for a high score.

  20. kimkong says

    “An increasing number of people meet and talk to their friends online instead of in person.”

    Where is the verb?

    • There are two verbs: meet / talk

      A simple way of writing this is with one verb:

      “People meet their friends online instead of in person.”

      From the simple sentence above, it is easier to spot the verb.

  21. Ebenezer Boakye Agyemang says

    Dear Liz,
    I would like to know how many body paragraphs should a Positive Negative essay have? Does the marking scheme specify two or three to makes it decrestionary?
    I ask because some samples I’ve seen on this essay type, including yours, consistently give three body paragraph , whilst generally giving two for the other essay types.

    Is the rule or mere coincidence, Please?

    God bless you and your team for your selfless and humanitarian acts. The world is grateful.

    • There is nothing in the marking criteria which states how many paragraphs or body paragraphs you should have for any type of essay. Paragraphs need to be logically organised. Body paragraphs need to long enough that idea are sufficiently developed which means having too many body paragraphs would be a problem because they are likely to be too short. This means that either two or three body paragraphs are appropriate. You can’t have one body paragraphs because you are being marked on dividing main ideas into logical paragraphs.
      Thanks for your best wishes to my team – I work alone 🙂

  22. Althaf says

    Dear Liz,

    Q.In the world today, the families has become smaller..

    Is it a positive or negative development for families and society?

    I approached this question by talking about the positive side of having a small family in the first paragraph and then in second para I discussed the negative side of having a small family while comparing it with having a bigger family with some relevant examples and finally concluded by saying it is a negative development by my personal view.

    Is this approach correct for this question?

    • This question requires your opinion – not a discussion. If you think it is only negative, then you can’t write about the positive side. Your opinion must be consistent throughout the whole essay. If you think it is largely negative, but not completely negative, then you have a chance to present both sides.

  23. Hi liz!
    hope you are all doing well.

    I am wondering whether you can write ” in my opinion ….” in this question type. because it does not ask your opinion and just ask ” is this positive or…..” .

    i think if the question was like this: ” Do you think this is a positive…..” you would be able to write “in my opinion”.

    i am not sure and now i am confused! please let me know what do you think about this.

    • “Is this positive or negative” AND “do you think this is positive or negative” are the same questions. 100% the same. They are both directed to you personally and you must choose. It is a personal choice. It is your opinion in both.

  24. In a positive or negative development question, can you choose both sides as your own opinion?
    Thanks

    • You can present both sides, but your opinion should favour one more than the other. It is asking for your opinion – not just a plain discussion.

  25. tsewang lhamo says

    Now a days, more people are choosing to socialize online rather than face to face. It is a positive or negative development.

    These days, many people are communicating online rather than meeting in person. From my perspective, using online to stay connected is a negative development and it will create lots of problems.
    Technology had helped people to stay connected but it has also lead to unhealthy disorder. For example, 90% of younger generation had undergone depression and suicidal attempt due to loneliness. As they started to isolate themselves from others and had been interacting with people only through internet. Which is very unhealthy and cause these disorder. Moreover, it is very difficult for parent to monitor their kids and protect them through social network.
    Another negative aspect of this will harm individual life. To illustrate, people especially younger generation tend to make a relationship through different social website like facebook without even knowing him/her. Besides this, people used fake identities to make business and some even make their living through it. Which is very risky and will create lots of obstacle in people life. Non the less people will lost their trust in humanity. Lastly, choosing social network to socialse will make them distance between family and friends. It will also cause jealousy and lost in fait in one another. For example, my sister does not stay with us and we rarely meet. We used to interact like once in a blue moon through video calling and it did create a lots of distance between us as we work in different country.
    To conclude, socializing through social network have way more negative development. As it create lots of problems and it is very unhealthy. Therefore, it is much better to meet rather then connecting through online.

  26. Muneeb Uddin Karim says

    Dear Liz,
    Thank you for your outstanding Tips and Tricks.
    I have taken CD-IELTS today. I feel that it went good.
    In writing Task-II, the Question was:
    In some societies, fashion is more and more changing many people’s choice.
    Why is this?
    Do you think it is a negative or positive development?

    I planned it in the following way.

    Intro=Background statement+ reason+my opinion
    BP1= Reasons (Why?)
    BP2= ideas supporting my points-(negative opinion)
    Conclusion= restatement of background and reasons along with my opinion.
    (272 words)

    Now I just want to know, what do you think? Was my approach right?
    Thanks in Advance
    Best Regards

    • All sounds fine. However, Task Response is more than just a brief outline of ideas. It’s about how you write topic sentences, how you explain yourself, how you connect ideas to the many task to make them 100% relevant. Good luck with your results 🙂

  27. Dear Liz,

    Your samples are really helpful and thanks to your work, I find it more easier from now.

    Thank you.

  28. Leonard says

    Hmm, is it really correct sample? I mean there is no opinion or view written. What do you think? If I am wrong, please let me know why. And also I should mention that I am not professional like you 🙂

    • I’m a bit confused by your comment. The opinion is presented in the introduction: In my opinion, this is a negative development which can lead to isolation, potentially harmful situations and also problems later on in life. It is then explained in the body paragraphs. The thesis statement of the introduction always presents the opinion if the instructions ask for it.

      • Poonam says

        If question asks for do the topic has more positives than negatives than the format to follow is same as advantages outweigh disadvantages?

        • Correct.

          • Hello Liz,

            I can’t thank you or praise you enough for the amount of good materials and information that you provide via your YouTube videos or your blog or your paid videos. I took your writing videos subscription along with your ebooks and they are of immense help to me.

            However, I could not come across this ‘postive negative development’ type of essay types in any of your videos i subscribed to. If you could please help provide your two cents on correcting my understanding of this essay type of it falls under ‘advantages outweigh the disadvantages essay type with our won opinion’ OR does it fall under the bucket of opinion based essay that is ‘ do you agree or disagree and write your own opinion’.
            please help provide the structure just like your writing videos or direct me to one. Pretty please.

            • It falls under the label of “Direct Questions Essay”. This means you are given a direct question or questions. Not all teachers use the same names for essays or categorise them in the same way. It’s best to go for a balanced view with your opinion clearly leaning to one side more than the other.

  29. Maninder says

    We should try to use “phrasal verb” in writing or not?

    • You should use appropriate language and that might include phrasal verbs.

      • Md Almas says

        Dear Liz,
        I am a big fan of you and I appreciate your lessons and blog. Unfortunately, when I read your model essay about positive and negative developments I saw in the conclusion paragraph there is a big mistake because at the beginning you supported it is a negative development but later at the end, you said that is a positive trend. So, please read the essay again and correct it otherwise it could be confusing for us.

        All the best for your future…

        • There is no error. The introduction and conclusion match You’ll need to review your understanding of this phrase in the conclusion “it has brought about too many problems for this to be considered a positive trend.”. It means – this cannot be positive because there are too many problems.

          • Md Almas says

            I am really sorry, that was my mistake because I couldn’t understand the inner meaning of this phrase. I am extremely sorry, I shouldn’t say that way before a clear review. Anyway, I wish you good luck and want more lessons from you…

            All the best

            • No need to apologise. This is the kind of language that comes in the reading or listening test to check your understanding. The more familiar you are with such language, the better 🙂

  30. Rupesh Rajali says

    Dear mam,
    “Discuss it’s positive or negative sides”. In this types of question, is it mandatory to write our opinion? e.g. In my opinion………………..

    And should we discuss only one side or we have to discuss its both side? Plz mam guide me how to write this types of question.Thanks❤️

    • I have never seen such instructions. You either get “discuss both sides” or “Is this a positive or negative development”. It isn’t actually possible in English to have “Discuss its X or Y” – it should be “and” when you have “Discuss it’s …”.

  31. Anant says

    Plz mam tell me that i have discuss both postive and negative in the essay in which or was given if this will be wrong or not as i have attempted it partially

    • It is completely fine to have a partial approach – present both sides with your opinion clearly favouring one side.

  32. Dear liz,
    In your above example task 2 can we write negative in para 2 and positive in para 2 or we have to justify any one of it in a complete essay.
    Thank u

    • I’m not sure why you would put negative first. You should keep a logical order when it comes to paragraphs. The examiner should never feel confused about the order.

  33. Ramtin says

    Hi Liz,
    firstly, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and knowledge freely.
    my question is: some teachers categorize Task 2 questions into only 4 primary types,
    the so called “Opinion” / “Discussion” / “Opinion-Discussion” / “Situational (Direct Question)”
    and then suggest paragraph and content planning based on those.
    For example, it is recommended to NOT discuss both views in the “Opinion” type, which includes
    what you’d usually call “positive or negative” questions as well as the plain
    “what is your opinion” questions, and so on.

    What is your take on this kind of classification? is it too broad? or just broad enough?
    (this might or might not be relevant, but I’m aiming to improve my band score from 7 to 8, so I tend
    to be extra vigilant when it comes to these types of guides/tips)

    • It makes no difference how a teacher categorises essays. The key aspect is if you feel fully prepared for all essay types. I break it down into five essay types, but within those five there are more variations. But again, there is no right or wrong – there is only full preparation or not enough preparation from a candidates perspective.

  34. Hi Liz,
    Please if you don’t mind, can you summarily help to suggest how to go about this kind of question if we meet it in the exam. It seems to be a bit confusing in the approach expected.

    “People born today can expect to live longer than people in the previous generation. What are some of the positive and negative implication of this phenomenon”

    • This is a simple advantage and disadvantage essay. It is asking for both sides = one body paragraph for each side.

  35. Aman says

    Mam my local teacher has taught me that positive negative and adv outweigh disadv essays can be written with same style.
    Is it a right approach?

    • Liz says

      Yes, it is possible to do that – it would be a partial agreement where you admit one side and favour the other.

      • Aman says

        Sorry, I forgot to mention what my teacher writes in the outline of positive negative essay—
        In this essay advantage outweigh disadvantage

        If it is still right then can a person score a 8 band with partial agreement?

        • Liz says

          You don’t get a particular band score because you chose a particular approach. Your score is based on other marking criteria. Even within Task Response it is about how you present ideas, how you use them, how you support them, much development you give them etc. Scores are not so simple to predict or estimate.

  36. Dear Liz, I want to say a big THANK YOU for all your work. Your website is really helpful .I followed your tips many times and the explanations you give is so easy to be understood by everyone (even for those who have poor english😉).Keep going and don’t listen to those persons who are too frustated to understand the actually meaning of this website.By the way, tomorrow I have the second atempt for the IELTS test.The last one was overall 7 ,but W=6😕.Hopefully this time I will take it with at least 6.5.😁Many thanks again and hope you are feeling better now.😘😘

    • Fingers crossed tomorrow!! Remember that you need to take time to plan your task 1 and task 2. Then writing will be easier. Also keep your eye on the clock so that you manage your time properly. See this page for last minute tips on each section of the test: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-exam-tips-on-the-day/.
      I’m really glad you found my site useful 🙂

      • prabhjot kaur gill says

        thank u a lot mamm
        you are so nice
        🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️

  37. Sameera says

    Hi Liz,

    Can we consider this kind of essay (Is this a positive or negative development) as an opinion essay when answering? I am asking just because I need to be clear on when planning this type of essay.

    • IT is asking for your opinion. Yes, you can consider it similar to an Opinion Essay.

  38. Lovepreet singh says

    Hello mam
    Can i apply a balanced opinion approach to a negative or positive development essay
    Like you have done in the advanced video of the opinion essay

    Q- more and more measures to improve security in urban areas have been introduced in many countries because of the increased crime rate
    Is it a positive or negative development?

    Intro
    Increasing level of crime rate have promoted authorities in many countries to strengthen their security through a variety of measures. While Some of these measures pose potential risk to individual privacy, I feel that their benefits to city residents and cities as a whole make these changes a positive development overall.

    BP1– POSITIVE EFFECTS lowering of crime rate
    Which has increased sense of safety
    Attract more investments

    BP2 NEGATIVE privacy intruded
    Agencies can access call details
    However this concern is undue, authorities have no self vested interest
    So chances of this is extremely low.

    In conclusion, although some of the security measures have been introduced infringe on people’s right to privacy, it is largely a positive development as the improved security makes city dwellers’ lives more secure and cities more desirable place to live, work and invest in.

    Could u please clear my doubt?
    Is this a right approach

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