Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents’ generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
Sample Response
Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes from the time he depicted a herd of mammoths on the walls of his cave to these days when he can use personal computers to create a new pattern for his carpet, send e-mail to his friend and even make him a cup of coffee without leaving his chair. There is no doubt that every generation is different in many ways from the old ones. In the following paragraphs, I will list some differences which I believe exist between my generation and my parents' generation.
First of all, I think that my generation is more familiar with the modern technology than my parents' generation. For example, my mother learned from me about the Internet. I was the first person to explain to my parents what the Internet is and how to use it.
Second of all, people of my generation have different interests and different opinions about many things. For example, my parents and I have different views about the decision made by the government. My mother thinks that more money should be spent on books and libraries for the children, and I think that more money should be spent on computer technologies.
Finally, I think that people of my generation tend to forget many traditions and customs of the country they were born in. We often forget about the meaning of the holidays our parents celebrate. I cannot say that it is wrong I just think it is normal when recent historical events are celebrated with more enthusiasm. However, I believe that all people should remember their history and pass it down to the next generation because this knowledge is irreplaceable and priceless for every person.
To sum up, there is no doubt that next generation is always better prepared for the future than the old one, and this means that our children will also be more experienced than we do now. And I think it is for the best.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Name the comparison clearly Original: different in many ways from the old ones Suggested revision: different in many ways from previous generations Why it matters: “Previous generations” identifies the comparison more precisely than “the old ones.”
- 2. Use defining relative Original: which Suggested revision: that Why it matters: “That” is the natural relative pronoun for this defining clause.
- 3. Remove incorrect article Original: the modern technology Suggested revision: modern technology Why it matters: “Technology” is used as an uncountable general noun here and takes no article.
- 4. Use natural word order Original: learned from me about the Internet Suggested revision: learned about the Internet from me Why it matters: The topic normally follows “learned,” with the source placed afterward.
- 5. Use standard sequencer Original: Second of all Suggested revision: Secondly Why it matters: “Secondly” is the conventional formal counterpart to “First of all.”
- 6. Avoid repeated modifier Original: different interests and different opinions Suggested revision: different interests and opinions Why it matters: One use of “different” can modify both coordinated nouns without changing the meaning.
- 7. Use general comparison Original: different views about the decision made by the government Suggested revision: different views on government decisions Why it matters: The plural phrase matches the broad claim about generational opinions more naturally.
- 8. Use generic plural Original: libraries for the children Suggested revision: libraries for children Why it matters: Generic plural “children” does not require the definite article.
- 9. Add definite article Original: that next generation Suggested revision: that the next generation Why it matters: The singular generational group requires the definite article.
- 10. Fix comparison verb Original: do Suggested revision: are Why it matters: The adjective “experienced” requires the linking verb “are,” not the auxiliary “do.”
- 11. Sentence rewrite Original: Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes from the time he depicted a herd of mammoths on the walls of his cave to these days when he can use personal computers to create a new pattern for his carpet, send e-mail to his friend and even make him a cup of coffee without leaving his chair. Suggested revision: Humans have changed greatly from the time when they depicted mammoths on cave walls to the present day, when they can use personal computers to design a carpet, send an email to a friend, or even make themselves coffee without leaving their chairs. Why it matters: The rewrite fixes the awkward time structure, replaces gendered generic pronouns, and clarifies the coordinated examples.
- 12. Sentence rewrite Original: I cannot say that it is wrong I just think it is normal when recent historical events are celebrated with more enthusiasm. Suggested revision: I cannot say that this is wrong; I simply think it is normal for recent historical events to be celebrated with more enthusiasm. Why it matters: The rewrite repairs the run-on sentence, clarifies the pronoun, and corrects the adjective complement.
Suggested Rewrites
- different in many ways from the old ones different in many ways from previous generations
- which that
- the modern technology modern technology
- learned from me about the Internet learned about the Internet from me
- Second of all Secondly
- different interests and different opinions different interests and opinions
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is easy to follow and offers three relevant generational differences, supported by personal examples and a consistent comparative focus. Its main limitation is that some ideas, especially the difference in opinions and the final claim that each new generation is better prepared, are only loosely developed. Prioritise deeper explanation of why each difference matters and ensure the conclusion precisely reflects the preceding comparisons.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses the task with several relevant differences and examples, although some supporting ideas remain general or insufficiently explained.
Develop each comparison by explaining its significance and avoid adding a broad concluding claim that has not been established in the body.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay has clear paragraphing and logical progression, though the enumerative transitions make the organisation somewhat mechanical.
Use meaning-based links between ideas and make the final paragraph synthesize the three comparisons more directly.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary shows sufficient range for the topic, including some effective historical and technological language, despite occasional awkward collocations and repetition.
Improve precision by replacing vague phrases such as "different opinions about many things" with specific, naturally collocated expressions.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but recurring article, comparison, and sentence-boundary errors reduce control.
Focus on articles and complete comparative structures, and separate run-on clauses such as "it is wrong I just think" correctly.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents’ generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.