Some people are becoming more interested in family history research. Others argue we should focus on the present and future generation. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Sample Response
Mankind is connected to each other in the form of a chain of relationships dated back centuries ago. It is a well-established fact in various societies that the grand ancestors of all human being are Adam and Eve. Some people are curious to discover their family tree while others believe that one should concentrate on their current and coming generations. This essay will analyse both views and will present an opinion in the conclusion.
The human being has always remained anxious in discovering their true identity and are always keen in finding out where they belong to and who were their ancestors. Researching family unit facilitate people to understand how they are connected to others. People feel proud when they discover that their forefather's achievements and sacrifices are still admired by societies. Moreover, in some communities, a family is considered respectable and credible if they have a strong family background and notable history. For instance, in some Asian countries, families ask for the relationship tree of each other before they decide to finalise the marriage.
On the contrary, few people believe that our present is more critical than our past and one should devote his time and efforts on future generations rather than digging the past. Proponents of this view point say that researching family history might reveal some facts that can be embarrassing for our current generation. For instance, children will feel uncomfortable and distracted if they discover that one of their ancestors was not patriotic or committed several crimes based on religious ethnicity. They further say that exploring family history would not do any good as that era cannot be changed and one should concentrate on raising respectable manners and etiquette in our generations to make them a better member of a society.
To recapitulate, the aforementioned provides plausible arguments in favour of both views. However, in my opinion researching family relations assist people to track their origin, achievement of their ancestors and so on, which can soothe and comfort their hearts.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Fix reciprocal agreement Original: Mankind is connected to each other Suggested revision: Human beings are connected to one another Why it matters: The plural reciprocal expression requires a plural human subject.
- 2. Use participle dating Original: relationships dated back centuries ago Suggested revision: relationships dating back centuries Why it matters: The active participle "dating" is required, and "ago" is redundant after "back".
- 3. Use earliest ancestors Original: grand Suggested revision: earliest Why it matters: "Grand ancestors" is not a standard English expression.
- 4. Use plural noun Original: being Suggested revision: beings Why it matters: "All" requires a plural countable noun in this general reference.
- 5. Fix number and agreement Original: Researching family unit facilitate Suggested revision: Researching family units facilitates Why it matters: The object should be plural, and the gerund phrase functioning as subject takes a singular verb.
- 6. Use plural possessive Original: forefather's achievements Suggested revision: forefathers' achievements Why it matters: The general reference is to multiple ancestors, so a plural possessive is required.
- 7. Use general society Original: societies Suggested revision: society Why it matters: Uncountable "society" is more natural for a general reference to public admiration.
- 8. Use family tree Original: relationship Suggested revision: family Why it matters: "Family tree" is the established term for a diagram or record of family relationships.
- 9. Clarify reciprocal object Original: of each other Suggested revision: of the other family Why it matters: The revision identifies whose family tree each family requests.
- 10. Use approve marriage Original: finalise Suggested revision: approve Why it matters: "Approve" more clearly describes the families' decision before the marriage proceeds.
- 11. Use contrast transition Original: On the contrary Suggested revision: By contrast Why it matters: "By contrast" appropriately introduces the opposing view without implying a direct factual contradiction.
- 12. Fix devote preposition Original: on Suggested revision: to Why it matters: The verb "devote" takes the preposition "to".
Suggested Rewrites
- Mankind is connected to each other Human beings are connected to one another
- relationships dated back centuries ago relationships dating back centuries
- grand earliest
- being beings
- Researching family unit facilitate Researching family units facilitates
- forefather's achievements forefathers' achievements
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response discusses both perspectives in clearly separated paragraphs and gives a definite preference for researching family history, supported by relevant points about identity, pride, reputation, and present priorities. Its main limitation is that some arguments are culturally narrow or weakly reasoned, while frequent awkward phrasing reduces precision; the priority is to compare practical benefits and costs more critically and express them in natural, grammatically controlled language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views and a clear opinion are presented with relevant support, though several claims are generalised and the final preference is briefly justified.
Evaluate each view against practical criteria such as identity, health knowledge, time, privacy, and benefits for future generations.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay is logically organised into the two views and a conclusion, with clear progression and generally effective signposting.
Replace formulaic transitions with topic sentences that state the exact contrast and connect examples more directly to each claim.
Lexical Resource
The response shows adequate range for ancestry, identity, reputation, and future generations, but inaccurate collocations frequently weaken precision.
Use natural terms such as ancestors, family tree, trace one's origins, focus on future generations, and instil good values.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is attempted, with meaning generally clear despite recurring agreement, pronoun, article, and preposition errors.
Check subject-verb agreement and pronoun consistency in every long sentence, especially when referring to people and generations.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people are becoming more interested in family history research. Others argue we should focus on the present and future generation. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.