Writing Task 2: Discussion (Both Views) Essay: Question 2
Syllabus W.task2
Some cities are closing residential streets to through-traffic to create quieter, safer neighbourhoods, while others argue this simply pushes congestion onto nearby roads and inconveniences drivers.
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.
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Worked solution
Examiner notes: why this is a band 9 response
Task Response
The introduction paraphrases both views precisely and states a clear, qualified position (“the safety and liveability gained… justify the policy, provided it is paired with genuine improvements to the wider road network”) that is sustained through to the conclusion. Both body paragraphs are developed with a specific, concrete example, the Ashgrove ward’s modal filters and the congested boundary roads/junctions, giving the two views genuinely comparable depth before the candidate’s own opinion is stated.
Coherence & Cohesion
Topic sentences clearly flag whose view is under discussion (“Supporters of closing residential streets argue that…”, “Critics counter that…”), and the colon in the first body paragraph cleanly introduces a worked-through consequence. Reference chains such as “this objection” and “the traffic being displaced” tie ideas back to earlier points without relying on a mechanical string of linking words.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is precise and topic-appropriate throughout: “modal filters”, “rat-run”, “funnelled onto fewer of them”, “boundary roads”. Near-synonyms avoid repetition (e.g. “through-traffic”, “displaced traffic”, “the same vehicles”), and collocations are used accurately (“absorb traffic”, “investing in public transport”).
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
The response shows confident control of complex structures: a semicolon joining two closely related clauses, a non-defining relative clause (“residents on those remaining roads…”), and a passive participle clause (“redesigning the roads left carrying the displaced traffic”). There are no errors of tense, agreement or word form anywhere in the response.
Common pitfalls specific to this task
See commonMistakes above: the most damaging is developing the safety/quietness view in full while reducing the displaced-congestion view to a token mention of “annoyed drivers”. A band 9 discussion essay must give both views genuinely comparable depth before the candidate’s own opinion is given.