Some people think it’s better to choose friends who always have the same opinions as them. Other people believe it’s good to have friends who sometimes disagree with them. Discuss both these views and give own your opinion.
Sample Response
It is often said that friends are the family we choose and it is not uncommon for people to gravitate towards friends who share their interests, beliefs, and opinions. However, some people argue that it is better to have friends who always agree with them, while others believe that friends who sometimes disagree with them are more valuable. In this essay, I will discuss both views. Personally, I think having friends who sometimes disagree helps us learn and grow.
On the one hand, people who argue that it is better to have friends who always agree with them believe that this helps to avoid conflicts and maintain peace in relationships. They think that having the same opinions makes it easier to communicate and reduces the chances of arguments or misunderstandings. When there is a disagreement, it can cause tension and lead to the end of the friendship. Therefore, it is better to surround oneself with people who think alike and have the same values. For instance, in a workplace setting, if two colleagues always agree on project decisions, they are less likely to have disputes, ensuring smooth teamwork and a stress-free environment.
On the other hand, people who believe that it is good to have friends who sometimes disagree with them, argue that this helps in personal growth and learning. They think that when there are disagreements, it encourages critical thinking and helps to challenge one's own beliefs and opinions. Such friends can provide new perspectives and insights that can broaden one's understanding of the world. Furthermore, it helps to develop better communication skills and learn how to navigate disagreements and conflicts in a healthy way. Therefore, in my opinion, it is better to have friends who sometimes disagree with me. While it can be comforting to have friends who always agree with us, it does not challenge us to grow or learn.
In conclusion, though friendship often means agreement among people, it is better to have friends who sometimes challenge us and help us grow. Disagreements and differing opinions are essential for personal growth and development, and having friends who share different perspectives can help us to become better individuals.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Separate independent clauses Original: choose and it Suggested revision: choose, and it Why it matters: A comma is needed before and when it joins these two independent clauses.
- 2. Remove mechanical signposting Original: In this essay, Suggested revision: Delete Why it matters: The following discussion already makes the essay's structure clear.
- 3. Use natural collocation Original: chances Suggested revision: likelihood Why it matters: Likelihood of arguments is the more natural formal collocation.
- 4. Use direct wording Original: lead to the end of the friendship Suggested revision: cause the friendship to end Why it matters: The replacement expresses the possible consequence more directly.
- 5. Remove incorrect comma Original: them, argue Suggested revision: them argue Why it matters: A comma must not separate the subject phrase from its verb.
- 6. Use concise verb Original: helps in personal growth and learning Suggested revision: promotes personal growth and learning Why it matters: Promotes expresses the positive effect more directly.
- 7. Use natural phrasing Original: though friendship often means agreement among people Suggested revision: although friendship often involves agreement Why it matters: Involves agreement is a more natural description of this aspect of friendship.
- 8. Remove repetition Original: personal growth and development Suggested revision: personal development Why it matters: Growth and development repeat the same idea in this phrase.
- 9. Use precise verb Original: share Suggested revision: offer Why it matters: Offer more accurately describes friends contributing viewpoints that differ from one's own.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: They think that when there are disagreements, it encourages critical thinking and helps to challenge one's own beliefs and opinions. Suggested revision: They think that disagreements encourage critical thinking and help people challenge their own beliefs and opinions. Why it matters: The rewrite fixes the unclear singular pronoun and makes the coordinated verbs agree with disagreements.
- 11. Sentence rewrite Original: Furthermore, it helps to develop better communication skills and learn how to navigate disagreements and conflicts in a healthy way. Suggested revision: Furthermore, such disagreement helps people develop better communication skills and learn how to navigate disagreements and conflicts in a healthy way. Why it matters: The rewrite gives the sentence a clear subject and supplies the person who develops and learns.
Suggested Rewrites
- choose and it choose, and it
- In this essay, Delete
- chances likelihood
- lead to the end of the friendship cause the friendship to end
- them, argue them argue
- helps in personal growth and learning promotes personal growth and learning
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response addresses both views, states a consistent preference, and progresses clearly through well-developed reasons about harmony and personal growth. Its main limitation is that the workplace example only indirectly illustrates friendship, while some supporting points repeat the same growth idea; the highest-priority improvement is to use a directly relevant friendship example and deepen the contrast between agreement and constructive disagreement.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are discussed and the writer's opinion remains clear, with relevant development apart from one only partly applicable example.
Support the case for agreement with a specific friendship example and explore its benefits or limitations in greater depth.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay is logically organized into purposeful paragraphs, and its position and main ideas progress clearly from introduction to conclusion.
Reduce formulaic transitions and repeated restatement of personal growth so each stage of the argument adds a distinct point.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficiently varied and generally accurate, though recurring words about agreement, disagreement, and growth limit flexibility.
Use a broader range of precise language for intellectual challenge, mutual respect, and conflict management without forcing uncommon terms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex structures is handled well and most sentences are accurate, with a few punctuation and reference-control lapses.
Check comma placement and ensure pronouns such as 'it' have a clear singular referent in complex sentences.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think it’s better to choose friends who always have the same opinions as them. Other people believe it’s good to have friends who sometimes disagree with them. Discuss both these views and give own your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.