Pedestrianised Town Centres · Benefits and Drawbacks
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 question with a model answer of 277 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.
Many towns and cities are now closing their central streets to cars and reserving them for pedestrians. Do the advantages of this approach outweigh the disadvantages? Write at least 250 words.
How to approach it
- 01Read the prompt carefully — this is an advantages-vs-disadvantages essay requiring a weighted verdict
- 02State your overall verdict in the introduction and restate it in the conclusion
- 03Devote roughly one body paragraph to advantages and one to disadvantages
- 04Use concrete examples (Copenhagen's Strøget, Carnaby Street) to ground your argument
- 05Acknowledge that the policy can fail when poorly designed — a nuanced verdict scores higher than blanket support
Model answer
277 words in 4 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.
From Copenhagen's Strøget to the new car-free quarters of Paris and Madrid, pedestrianisation has become a defining feature of modern town planning. While the policy creates genuine difficulties for some users, I believe its advantages outweigh its disadvantages, particularly when the design is thoughtful.
The benefits are wide-ranging. Removing traffic from a town centre cuts air pollution and noise dramatically, making the area more pleasant for residents, shoppers and tourists. Pedestrianised streets typically see a rise in foot-fall, which supports cafés, independent retailers and cultural events; the experience of Carnaby Street in London and several restored European old towns shows that visitor numbers and rental values often climb after vehicles are excluded. There are also clear safety benefits, particularly for children, the elderly and people with disabilities, who no longer have to navigate cars and lorries on narrow streets. Greener squares with benches, fountains and outdoor seating finally become usable public spaces rather than glorified roundabouts.
The drawbacks should not be dismissed. Pedestrianisation can shift traffic and parking pressure onto surrounding residential streets, exporting the problem rather than solving it. Delivery vehicles, taxis and emergency services need carefully designed access, or shops will simply struggle to receive stock. Older shoppers, parents with prams and people with mobility issues may find the new layout harder to reach if parking is removed without good public transport alternatives. Done badly, the policy can hollow out a town rather than revive it.
In conclusion, when accompanied by a relocated multi-storey car park, decent public transport links and managed delivery slots, pedestrianisation brings substantial environmental, economic and social benefits. The advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages, provided implementation is taken seriously.
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.
14 fewer than the median answer for this task type
4 words at the shortest, 43 at the longest
3 fewer than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 19.8 words and vary by 9.6 words either side of that, running from 4 words to 43. 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. 4 of the 14 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
3 in total, spread across 3 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.
while
finally
in conclusion
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 86 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 76 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 3 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 Achievement
Cover both advantages and disadvantages with developed support and give a clear weighted verdict
Coherence & Cohesion
Use a four-paragraph structure with explicit signposting between sides and a clear final verdict
Lexical Resource
Use precise vocabulary for urban planning, transport and public space
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Use a range of complex structures including conditionals and concessive clauses with accuracy
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