Do you think that modern technology, such as the internet and computers will ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information?
Sample Response
It is true that information technology has grown rapidly in the past few years, and many people predict that it will develop faster in the future. Some people believe that print out books and articles will be replaced by computer devices in the future. To a certain extent, I would agree that the number of printed books will decrease significantly in the future, but I do believe that hardcopy books will continue to exist in the future.
On one hand, it is a fact that with the existence of the computer and the internet technology, people can obtain a lot of information. People would just open the device, connect it to a network and they could search all articles that they need. There are tens of thousands of websites which provide valuable information such as www.national geographic.com or www.discovery.com. Besides that, many news corporations also provide electronic newspapers these days like CNN or BBC, which can be read in the notebook, tab or smartphone. As a result, many people prefer to read the information from the electronic devices rather than to purchase the print out one.
On the other hand, it is predicted that print out books, newspapers or magazines will continue to exist in future, though the number will decrease drastically. Firstly, not everyone likes to read an article through the gadget directly, since they think it is uncomfortable. They believe that the radiation of computer screen would cause eyes irritation, and give a negative effect on their eyes' health. Secondly, it is undeniable that the development of internet technology is not equally spread all over the world. The online services would only be available in advance countries and in some major cities of developing and poor countries. As a consequence, people who live in the rural or remote areas will still need the print out version.
In conclusion, although it is true that the number of electronic books and news has increased considerably in the recent years, but the existence of the hardcopy version will be irreplaceable. As some people do not feel comfortable in reading an article directly from the computer screen, and others who live in the countryside might not have the access to the technology.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Wrong collocation printed books
- 2. Hyphenated adjective hard-copy books
- 3. Simpler phrase the internet
- 4. Natural verb turn on a device
- 5. Tense and determiner they can search for all the articles they need
- 6. Website spacing www.nationalgeographic.com
- 7. Device wording on a notebook, tablet or smartphone
- 8. Article use from electronic devices
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
The answer gives a clear, balanced position: digital sources will grow, but printed books will not disappear. Both sides are relevant and supported, though examples are fairly predictable and some claims need sharper explanation.
Develop the key distinction between 'main source of information' and 'continued existence' so the argument answers replacement more precisely.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-paragraph structure is clear and progression is easy to follow. Cohesion is sometimes repetitive, especially with 'in the future' and 'print out', but organisation is sound.
Reduce repeated wording and use more precise topic sentences to show the contrast between convenience, health, access and permanence.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is adequate for the topic, but there are frequent collocation errors such as 'print out books', 'hardcopy books', 'eyes irritation', and 'advance countries'.
Revise technology and reading collocations: 'printed books', 'hard-copy books', 'eye strain', 'developed countries', and 'access to technology'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a range of sentence forms, and meaning is mostly clear. Errors with articles, prepositions, conditionals, and unnecessary conjunctions occur regularly.
Focus on article use with general nouns and remove double connectors such as 'although...but' in complex sentences.