IELTS Part 3

Take my own city, for instance — half the shops on the main street have closed in five years.

Giving examples

Personally, I think schools are asked to solve problems that are not really theirs.

Expressing an opinion

That largely comes down to the cost of housing in the places where the jobs are.

Explaining causes

There are two sides to it: people have far more freedom than they used to, but almost nothing is simple any more.

Balanced answers

I've genuinely never thought about it, but I imagine it works much the same way everywhere.

Admitting uncertainty

Up to a point, yes — though it is far less true outside the big cities.

Qualified agreement

I imagine it comes back to how expensive housing has become.

Speculating

On the whole, people adapt to these things faster than anyone predicts.

Careful generalisation

My parents' generation expected to stay with one employer for decades, whereas now changing jobs every few years is treated as normal.

Generational comparison

Which means that a whole set of skills quietly disappears within a generation.

Stating consequences

I'd expect the pendulum swings back within a decade or so.

Predicting

I'd question that, actually — the evidence for it is thinner than people assume.

Disagreeing in discussion