In today's world of advanced science and technology, we still greatly value our artists such as musicians, painters and writers. What can arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?
Sample Response
Various technological and scientific developments have tremendously enhanced our lifestyle and the way this is expanding, we are expected to have a far better lifestyle in the future than the current era. We have already ushered in a new era of previously unknown and unimaginable feats of technological development and the thanks go to the scientific discovery and invention alone. Despite this, arts, culture and traditions still have so much to teach us and this is why we still value arts and artists. One thing arts teach us where science is silent is the appreciation of life. In science, there are a little value of beauty if something does not work. Thus a piece of abstract art has no meaning in science but has great stories to tell when we consider it an art. In the world of arts, beauty matter in and of themselves whereas in science, the only true measure is whether it works or not. Arts offer us a spiritual outlook of life while science teaches us just the opposite. We are surrounded by nature which is a rare combination or science and arts. If we leave out the arts and beauty from nature, it would become a dull theory of how molecules work together. To give an example, if we listen to the music of Mozart, we can learn about harmony and joy through the medium of music or if we read classical novels, the past world reveals itself to us. Moreover, when we look back at the stars in a dark night, we appreciate the beauty and arts have taught us to appreciate this beauty. The great artists tell us about the true joys of life. Thus a classic book can teach us more about life than a biology book can. We do not need to understand arts to appreciate music, books or art exhibition but we need to understand scientific theories to understand how something really works. The artists reflect life and teach us to learn about our inner-value. When we start appreciating arts, we start living the life to its fullest and live for others. So to say, science and technology have made our physical world more comfortable in this century and will keep bringing new wonders in our daily life, arts and humanities have taught us to appreciate life, to live for a reason.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Fix sentence construction Original: and the thanks go to Suggested revision: thanks to Why it matters: “Thanks to” correctly introduces the cause of the technological achievements.
- 2. Use plural nouns Original: the scientific discovery and invention alone Suggested revision: scientific discoveries and inventions alone Why it matters: Plural count nouns are needed to refer generally to multiple advances.
- 3. Add the article Original: Despite this, arts, culture Suggested revision: Despite this, the arts, culture Why it matters: The established field is conventionally referred to as “the arts.”
- 4. Add the article Original: One thing arts teach us Suggested revision: One thing the arts teach us Why it matters: “The arts” is the correct form when referring to artistic disciplines collectively.
- 5. Clarify the contrast Original: where science is silent Suggested revision: that science cannot explain Why it matters: The revised wording states the contrast with science more directly.
- 6. Fix agreement and quantity Original: there are a little value Suggested revision: there is little value Why it matters: The uncountable noun “value” requires singular agreement and “little” without an article.
- 7. Remove the article Original: consider it an art Suggested revision: consider it art Why it matters: “Art” is uncountable when it refers to artistic work in general.
- 8. Fix singular agreement Original: beauty matter in and of themselves Suggested revision: beauty matters in and of itself Why it matters: The singular noun “beauty” requires “matters” and the singular reflexive “itself.”
- 9. Correct the preposition Original: of Suggested revision: on Why it matters: The standard collocation is “an outlook on life.”
- 10. Correct the phrase Original: combination or science and arts Suggested revision: combination of science and art Why it matters: A combination is formed “of” its elements, and “art” works here as an uncountable concept.
- 11. Use the right noun Original: the arts and beauty from nature Suggested revision: art and beauty from nature Why it matters: “Art” refers to the aesthetic quality attributed to nature, rather than to artistic disciplines.
- 12. Remove misleading wording Original: look back at the stars Suggested revision: look at the stars Why it matters: “Look back” suggests remembering the past rather than observing the sky.
Suggested Rewrites
- and the thanks go to thanks to
- the scientific discovery and invention alone scientific discoveries and inventions alone
- Despite this, arts, culture Despite this, the arts, culture
- One thing arts teach us One thing the arts teach us
- where science is silent that science cannot explain
- there are a little value there is little value
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response’s strongest feature is its thoughtful contrast between scientific utility and the arts’ capacity to reveal beauty, joy, history and inner values, supported by relevant cultural examples. Its main limitation is that these insights are repeated and sometimes overgeneralised within one unstructured paragraph. Prioritise grouping the material into distinct ideas—emotional appreciation and human experience—and develop each with precise comparisons rather than repeatedly asserting that science is silent.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response directly answers the question with several relevant insights and examples, but repetition and broad claims about science limit the depth of evaluation.
Develop two clearly differentiated lessons from art and qualify the comparison by explaining what art uniquely contributes rather than dismissing science generally.
Coherence and Cohesion
The discussion has an identifiable progression from beauty to spirituality, history, and purpose, but the lack of paragraphing and repeated ideas weaken cohesion.
Use an introduction, two focused body paragraphs, and a conclusion, with each body paragraph developing one distinct contribution of art.
Lexical Resource
There is sufficient range for abstract discussion of science, beauty, culture, and spirituality, but frequent inaccurate collocations and word forms reduce precision.
Replace awkward expressions such as “the current era,” “inner-value,” and “live the life to its fullest” with natural alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response attempts varied and complex sentences, but recurring errors in agreement, articles, prepositions, and clause boundaries are noticeable throughout.
Check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries, especially in sentences beginning “In the world of arts” and “So to say.”
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IELTS Writing Task 2
In today's world of advanced science and technology, we still greatly value our artists such as musicians, painters and writers. What can arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.