minutes on this task It is said that "Not everything that is learned is contained in books". Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
Sample Response
It is said that "knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad". It contrasts the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge refers to the awareness of the facts surrounding an object or an activity, while wisdom refers to the judgment as to how and when to use that knowledge. While knowledge can be gained from conventional sources of information such as books, but wisdom can only be acquired through experience.
We refer to sources of information such as books for knowledge in our daily lives, yet the only way to master those skills is by practice. It is only through doing that one realises the subtle intricacies of the actions being performed. This can be seen in our daily lives. At college, students are given a coursework in programming that lasts about a semester. However, it is not the coursework that makes them a good programmer in their profession. Rather it is the constant experience they gain while they are programming that makes them a better programmer. After spending a certain time in the profession, they may not remember what they learnt in books but they can still be a good programmer.
History is filled with numerous examples that only underscore the above-mentioned fact. Michael Jordan learned to play basketball during his high school days. That is when he learnt the rules of the game. However, it was 'practice' that gave him the required experience to hone his skills. The rules of the game did not change throughout his gaming career; rather he became more and more adept every time he played the game to become a legendary basketball player.
Thus, while books may teach a person how to do a particular task, they cannot sharpen his skills at that task. It can only be done through experience.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add missing article Original: that tomato is a fruit Suggested revision: that a tomato is a fruit Why it matters: The singular countable noun “tomato” needs an article here.
- 2. Fix word combination Original: contrasts Suggested revision: illustrates Why it matters: “Contrast the difference” is redundant and not a natural collocation.
- 3. Use natural preposition Original: by Suggested revision: through Why it matters: “Through practice” is the more natural expression for learning by repeated action.
- 4. Remove incorrect article Original: a coursework Suggested revision: coursework Why it matters: “Coursework” is uncountable in this context and does not take “a”.
- 5. Match plural reference Original: makes them a good programmer Suggested revision: makes them good programmers Why it matters: The complement should be plural to agree with the plural pronoun “them”.
- 6. Add linking comma Original: Rather it is Suggested revision: Rather, it is Why it matters: A comma should follow the sentence adverb “Rather”.
- 7. Correct source preposition Original: in Suggested revision: from Why it matters: Knowledge is learned “from” a source rather than “in” it.
- 8. Use precise term Original: gaming Suggested revision: playing Why it matters: “Playing career” is the conventional term for an athlete's career.
- 9. Use concise preposition Original: facts surrounding an object or an activity Suggested revision: facts about an object or activity Why it matters: “Facts about” expresses the relationship more directly and naturally.
- 10. Simplify wordy phrase Original: judgment as to how and when Suggested revision: judgment about how and when Why it matters: “About” conveys the same relationship more concisely.
- 11. Clarify source phrase Original: sources of information such as books for knowledge Suggested revision: books as sources of knowledge Why it matters: The original sequence of prepositional phrases obscures the relationship between books and knowledge.
- 12. Remove redundancy Original: subtle intricacies Suggested revision: intricacies Why it matters: “Intricacies” already denotes subtle details, making “subtle” unnecessary.
Suggested Rewrites
- that tomato is a fruit that a tomato is a fruit
- contrasts illustrates
- by through
- a coursework coursework
- makes them a good programmer makes them good programmers
- Rather it is Rather, it is
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear and well-supported preference for experiential learning, using focused programming and sporting examples to make its case convincingly. Its main limitation is that it partly replaces the requested comparison of two sources of knowledge with a distinction between knowledge and wisdom, leaving book-based learning less fully examined. A more direct, balanced comparison of what each source contributes would strengthen task coverage.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear preference for experience is developed with relevant examples, but the response only partly compares the distinct knowledge gained from each source.
Compare the unique benefits and limits of books and experience directly before explaining why experience is ultimately more important.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, two focused examples, and a concise conclusion, with cohesive links used effectively.
Make the relationship between the knowledge-versus-wisdom framing and the requested source comparison more explicit across paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
A flexible range of vocabulary conveys precise ideas, although a few collocations such as "a coursework" and "gaming career" are unnatural.
Refine article use and collocational choices while retaining the response's effective topic-specific vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is generally controlled, with occasional errors in conjunctions, agreement, and reference that do not impede meaning.
Edit sentence boundaries and paired conjunctions, especially avoiding constructions such as "while ... but," and maintain consistent pronoun agreement.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
minutes on this task It is said that "Not everything that is learned is contained in books". Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.