IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:
At present, one of the most controversial issues in the field of architecture and design relates to whether to use traditional or modern styles in building houses and infrastructures. In this essay, I am going to examine both views and give my own perspective on the matter.

On one side of the argument, there are people, who argue that using old designs compared to new style considerably outweighs the disadvantages. They believe that this will maintain and preserve one's culture and would be necessary for promoting tourism. For instance, Vigan, one of the famous cities in the Philippines attracts a big number of tourists annually because of the beauty of their tourist spots which were patterned on old traditional Spanish houses in the Spanish era. As a result, there was a considerable increase in their income brought about by higher employment rate and income from goods and services.

On the contrary, others believe that modern style is better and have limited effect on one's culture. People have this opinion because they think that culture is vague and should not be dependent on just the cultural designs found in the society. They argue that culture is much deeper and its meaning should be rooted more in people's behaviour and beliefs. In addition, many point out that culture should not hinder development and innovations on architecture. They strongly argue that architecture should be expressed freely and should not be confined on tradition.

In my own opinion, both arguments have their own merits. However, I tend to believe that using traditional styles in architecture have a small impact in preserving our culture and there are more important factors should be considered.

( Written by - Karen Kate Galman)