IELTS Writing Task 2: A Band 6.5 Essay (Should We Keep Traditional Ways of Life?), Graded

In the contemporary era, many argue that traditional cultures are outdated and must be replaced by modern ways of living. Whilst modern thinking is beneficial to the society, traditional cultures provide various benefits including creating a sense of belonging, improving our health and developing habits. I strongly believe that we need a balance between traditional culture and the modern way of living.

To begin with, traditional cultures create a sense of community, thereby enhancing a sense of belonging. Moreover, many traditional cultures have scientific backing and inculcate good habits in our communities such as long-term health benefits by fasting, meditating or performing prayers early in the morning to clear our minds, and donating food and clothing on special occasions to the poor to practice humility and equality. In addition, traditional cultures associated with festivals such as cleaning homes, respecting the elderly and the ancestors, and pilgrimage walks are known to reduce stress levels and improve our physical and mental health.

Conversely, some traditional cultures may be harmful to physical health such as using excessive incense, believing in negative effects of seeing a cat before an event, and not traveling during specific hours and days. Consequently, these lead people to believe in baseless practices without scientific evidence, thereby psychologically impacting them. A pertinent example of the same is to not donate money on Fridays in Hindu culture, since it's falsely believed to reduce donor's wealth and prosperity.

Notwithstanding the benefits of traditional culture, few drawbacks that create divide between people outweigh the benefits of them. Thus, it is important to maintain a balance between traditional practices and the modern way of living. Schools must educate students about the benefits and drawbacks of traditional culture and strive to inculcate good practices from childhood.