Online Communication and Face-to-Face Skills
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 327 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 40 minutes. Write at least 250 words.
It is widely believed that the increasing use of online communication is weakening people's ability to communicate effectively in face-to-face situations. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01Take a clear position on the spectrum — strongly agree, partially agree, or disagree — and signal it in the introduction
- 02Acknowledge the strongest counter-argument before refuting or qualifying it
- 03Use precise topic vocabulary: 'turn-taking', 'empathy', 'displacement', 'interpersonal skills'
- 04Support claims with evidence (research, observation, everyday examples) rather than assertion alone
- 05Avoid sweeping statements like 'everyone' or 'all young people' — use 'many', 'some', 'in certain cases'
- 06Conclude by restating your position and the central reasoning, not by adding new arguments
Model answer
327 words in 5 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
The proliferation of messaging apps, video calls and social platforms has fundamentally reshaped how people exchange information. Many commentators worry that this shift is eroding the interpersonal skills required for face-to-face interaction. While I accept that certain aspects of in-person communication are under pressure, I largely disagree with the strong version of this claim.
It is true that constant reliance on screens has changed how people behave in physical settings. Adolescents in particular spend many hours a day messaging in short bursts, where punctuation, tone and even silence can be hidden behind emojis or edited replies. Some research suggests that this style of interaction reduces practice with the rapid, unedited give-and-take of spoken conversation, contributing to social anxiety in some young people. Moreover, the temptation to glance at a phone during a meal or meeting can blunt the empathy and attentiveness that real conversation demands.
Nevertheless, the broader picture is more reassuring. Most people today communicate face-to-face every day at work, with family, in shops and during education, and there is little robust evidence that overall communication ability has declined as a result of digital tools. On the contrary, video conferencing has trained millions of professionals to read facial cues, manage turn-taking and present ideas concisely under pressure — skills that transfer directly to in-person settings. Online communities have also given socially anxious individuals a safer space to rehearse interaction before stepping into the offline world.
In my view, the issue is one of balance rather than displacement. The challenge for parents, educators and employers is to ensure that digital communication supplements rather than replaces the long unstructured conversations in which advanced social skills are developed. Schools, for example, can deliberately preserve oral presentations, debates and group work alongside any online learning.
In conclusion, although heavy reliance on online communication poses real risks for some individuals, it has not produced a general decline in face-to-face skills. Mindful use of digital tools is the appropriate response, not blanket alarm.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 69 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
36 more than the median answer for this task type
7 words at the shortest, 34 at the longest
4 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 20.4 words and vary by 7.1 words either side of that, running from 7 words to 34. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 9 of the 16 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
10 in total, spread across 6 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
nevertheless, although, while
moreover
as a result
in particular, for example
in conclusion, overall
it is true that
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 83 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 71 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 2 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Response
Clearly state and develop a position on the agreement-disagreement scale with sustained argument
Coherence & Cohesion
Logical progression with effective topic sentences and a balanced structure
Lexical Resource
Wide and accurate range of academic and topic-specific vocabulary
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Range of complex structures, modality, and accurate hedging
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