In recent years, many small local shops have closed because customers travel to large shopping centers or malls to do their shopping. Is this a positive or a negative development?

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In the modern world, it is undeniable that many small local

shops

Use synonyms

have closed in recent years as more customers choose to shop at large shopping

centres

Use synonyms

and malls.

While

Linking Words

some people may view

this

Linking Words

trend as a natural result of economic development, I am convinced that it is a negative development

due to

Linking Words

several reasons, which will be examined in

this

Linking Words

essay. One of the most apparent disadvantages is that the decline of local

shops

Use synonyms

weakens community identity and local economies. To illustrate, small businesses often serve as important social hubs where people interact and build relationships.

For instance

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, local shop owners usually have close connections with customers, creating a sense of community that large shopping

centres

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cannot replicate.

In addition

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, when small

shops

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close, money tends to flow to large corporations

instead

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of staying within the local economy, which may reduce opportunities for small business owners. Another drawback that should not be overlooked is that the dominance of large shopping

centres

Use synonyms

can reduce consumer choice and increase long-term costs. To clarify,

while

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malls may

initially

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offer convenience and lower prices, they can eventually limit competition if small businesses disappear.

For example

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, once local

shops

Use synonyms

are no longer able to compete, large retailers may gain greater control over pricing and product availability.

Furthermore

Linking Words

, shopping

centres

Use synonyms

often encourage excessive consumption, which may lead to wasteful spending habits. To recapitulate, it is evident that

although

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large shopping

centres

Use synonyms

provide convenience, the decline of small local

shops

Use synonyms

has negative impacts on community life, economic diversity, and consumer choice.

Therefore

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, I believe that

this

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trend is largely negative, and efforts should be made to support local businesses alongside modern retail development.

warawutwangphrom

Apr 19, 2026

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task response

Add one more clear example to make your ideas stronger.

task response

Explain a little more why malls can raise prices later.

coherence and cohesion

Use linking words with care so your points stay natural.

coherence and cohesion

Make each body paragraph start with one very clear main idea.

task response

You answer the question clearly and give a clear opinion.

coherence and cohesion

Your essay has a clear start, middle, and end.

coherence and cohesion

Your main points are easy to follow.

Include an introduction and conclusion

A conclusion is essential for IELTS writing task 2. It is more important than most people realise. You will be penalised for missing a conclusion in your IELTS essay.

The easiest paragraph to write in an essay is the conclusion paragraph. This is because the paragraph mostly contains information that has already been presented in the essay – it is just the repetition of some information written in the introduction paragraph and supporting paragraphs.

The conclusion paragraph only has 3 sentences:

Summary
Restatement of thesis
Prediction or recommendation

Example:

To summarize, a robotic teacher does not have the necessary disciple to properly give instructions to students and actually works to retard the ability of a student to comprehend new lessons. Therefore, it is clear that the idea of running a classroom completely by a machine cannot be supported. After thorough analysis on this subject, it is predicted that the adverse effects of the debate over technology-driven teaching will always be greater than the positive effects, and because of this, classroom teachers will never be substituted for technology.

Start your conclusion with a linking phrase. Here are some examples:

In conclusion
To conclude
To summarize
Finally
In a nutshell
In general

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11
Linking words
meeting the goal of 7 or more
2
Word repetition
meeting the goal of 3 or fewer
0
Grammar mistakes
detected issues

0123456789.0505

Overall Band Score

Coherence and Cohesion: 7.0

Logical structure

Introduction & conclusion present

Supported main points

Accurate linking words

Variety in linking words

Lexical resource: 8.0

Varied vocabulary

Accurate spelling & word formation

Grammatical Range: 9.0

Mix of complex & simple sentences

Clear and correct grammar

Task Achievement: 7.0

Complete response

Clear & comprehensive ideas

Relevant & specific examples

Appropriate word count

4 paragraphs

278 words

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Topic Vocabulary:

community character
specialized products
homogenized
local economy
circulating
variety
convenient
social hubs
infrastructure
traffic congestion
pollution
energy consumption

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In recent years, many small local shops have closed because customers travel to large shopping centers or malls to do their shopping. Is this a positive or a negative development?

In many countries,there is a growing gap between the technical skills of younger people and those over the age of fifty. What problems does this cause, and what solutions could minimise the problems?

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Every government has a duty to provide free health care for its people. What are the advantages and disadvantages of government providing free healthcare?

You work in an international company. You need to take some time off work. Write a letter to your employer. In your letter:  explain why you need this time off  give details of when you want this time off  say who can do your work when you are away

Some old people today struggle with the use of modern technologies such as smartphones and computers. What is the cause of this? What are some possible solutions?