Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Sample Response
From my everyday experience and observation, I can stand that grades are very good indicators of knowledge. For several reasons that I will mention bellow, I believe that grades encourage students to learn. First of all, grades show students' knowledge. If a person gets a high grade on an exam it means that he understands that subject very well. Otherwise, if a student gets a low grade on an exam it means that he does not understand it completely. Personally, when I get a lower grade on an exam then I expected I know that I could be better prepared. So, next time I will spend more time and efforts to fix my lack of knowledge and do my best on the exam. In this case, low grades encourage me to learn more. I try to analyse my mistakes and avoid them next time. Also, I try to arrange my time more effectively. I know exactly that I can do better than that, so I collect all my strength and focus on the incoming exam. It is a new goal or obstacle that one should overcome in order to continue his path. When finally I get a higher grade on an exam I feel satisfaction and I am proud of myself. I think it is a great feeling. I feel stronger, more self-confident and patient. I think these qualities are essential for a person who wants to achieve something and succeed in the future. Second, students have some kind of competition with each other for higher grades. When a student gets a higher grade then another one, the second student asks himself: "Why do not I have this grade? Is it something wrong with me? Is he better than me?" I think every student at least one time asked himself this question. To sum up, I think there is no doubt that grades encourage students to learn, gain more experience, knowledge, be more self-confident and persistent. Moreover, I am sure that these small victories will help students to win and succeed in the future.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct the expression Original: I can stand that Suggested revision: I maintain that Why it matters: “Stand that” is not the correct expression for stating a firmly held view.
- 2. Correct spelling Original: bellow Suggested revision: below Why it matters: “Below” is the correct spelling for the adverb meaning later in the text.
- 3. Choose a precise verb Original: show Suggested revision: reflect Why it matters: Grades can reflect knowledge, whereas “show” is less precise here.
- 4. Use neutral agreement Original: he understands Suggested revision: they understand Why it matters: A singular “they” construction avoids unnecessarily gendered reference to a general person.
- 5. Use neutral agreement Original: he does not understand Suggested revision: they do not understand Why it matters: A singular “they” construction gives the general student a neutral reference.
- 6. Use comparison word Original: then Suggested revision: than Why it matters: Use “than” rather than “then” to introduce a comparison.
- 7. Separate the clauses Original: expected I know Suggested revision: expected, I know Why it matters: A comma is needed between the introductory dependent clause and the main clause.
- 8. Use uncountable noun Original: efforts Suggested revision: effort Why it matters: “Effort” is uncountable when referring generally to the work invested.
- 9. Use natural collocation Original: fix Suggested revision: address Why it matters: A lack of knowledge is “addressed” rather than “fixed.”
- 10. Use natural collocation Original: collect all my strength Suggested revision: focus all my energy Why it matters: “Focus all my energy” is the natural expression for concentrating effort on an exam.
- 11. Choose the right adjective Original: incoming Suggested revision: upcoming Why it matters: “Upcoming” is the natural adjective for an exam that will happen soon.
- 12. Clarify the pairing Original: obstacle Suggested revision: challenge Why it matters: “Challenge” fits something to overcome more naturally than “obstacle” in this pairing.
Suggested Rewrites
- I can stand that I maintain that
- bellow below
- show reflect
- he understands they understand
- he does not understand they do not understand
- then than
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response maintains a clear opinion and develops the motivational effect of low and high grades through relevant personal explanation. Its main weakness is uneven development: the competition argument is brief, while recurring awkward wording and grammatical errors reduce precision. The highest priority is to organise the ideas into clear paragraphs and develop each reason with a concise, specific example in more accurate language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear and relevant reasons are given, with the personal motivation argument well extended but the competition point only briefly developed.
Develop the second reason with a specific example and explain more directly how competition leads to productive learning.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas follow a generally logical sequence and cohesive devices support the argument, but the response is presented as one long paragraph.
Divide the essay into clear introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs, ensuring each body paragraph has one controlling idea.
Lexical Resource
There is enough vocabulary to discuss motivation and achievement, but spelling errors and inaccurate collocations recur throughout.
Replace awkward phrases with natural combinations such as improve my knowledge, make a greater effort, and prepare for the next exam.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses both simple and complex structures, though errors with comparison forms, articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries are frequent.
Proofread especially for than versus then, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation between independent clauses.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.