The news is a source of knowledge about the world. How much can we trust the journalists? What are the qualities a good journalist should have?
Sample Response
It is undeniable that news media has been an indispensable part of our life, displaying a much colourful world in front of us than ever before. Thanks to the development of the news media technology and the profession of journalists, we no longer feel unfamiliar about the other side of the planet. While enjoying the wide knowledge brought by the reporters, we should also take this news with a pinch of salt as some information seems to be enticing but may not be based on the truth of the fact. As we all know, most news companies run to make profits, which is likely to make some journalists distort their reports to earn ratings. Meanwhile, many news media are controlled by some powerful institutes including the government, which would cause the journalists reporting tendentious news for they want to be in favour of the government rather than the public. Spreading knowledge of the world for the public but not propagandising for a certain powerful organisation is the main quality a journalist should have. He should at least possess the following qualities: First of all, he should be unbiased and not easily swayed by any party or group, reporting the news as factual as it is. Second, journalists need to report news of such various fields of society, science, geology, medicine, entertainment etc.; it would be tough for him to handle this job well if he is not versatile. Also, the most important personality of a journalist is that he must be brave and bold enough because there must be tough barriers waiting for him to break down. In conclusion, we should keep a clear head for the news reported by the journalists and a good journalist should possess a multifaceted personality.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use the correct collocation Original: wide Suggested revision: broad Why it matters: Knowledge is conventionally described as broad rather than wide.
- 2. Use a natural reporting phrase Original: brought by the reporters Suggested revision: provided by reporters Why it matters: Reporters provide information or knowledge; they do not normally “bring” it.
- 3. Clarify the general reference Original: this Suggested revision: such Why it matters: “Such news” refers clearly to the reporting described in the preceding clause.
- 4. Remove redundant wording Original: the truth of the fact Suggested revision: factually accurate Why it matters: Truth and fact overlap in meaning, so the original phrase is redundant and unnatural.
- 5. Use a business collocation Original: run to make profits Suggested revision: operate for profit Why it matters: Companies “operate for profit” rather than “run to make profits” in this construction.
- 6. Clarify the commercial aim Original: distort their reports to earn ratings Suggested revision: distort their reports to attract audiences Why it matters: Media reports attract audiences or ratings; journalists do not “earn ratings.”
- 7. Use a natural purpose phrase Original: Spreading knowledge of the world for the public Suggested revision: Informing the public about the world Why it matters: This is the idiomatic way to express journalism's informative function.
- 8. Use a parallel contrast Original: but not propagandising for Suggested revision: rather than promoting Why it matters: “Rather than” creates a grammatical contrast with the preceding gerund idea.
- 9. Name the responsibility accurately Original: the main quality a journalist should have Suggested revision: the central responsibility of a journalist Why it matters: Informing rather than promoting is a professional duty, not a personal quality.
- 10. Use an inclusive subject Original: He should at least Suggested revision: A journalist should at least Why it matters: Repeating the role avoids the unsupported shift to a masculine pronoun.
- 11. Lowercase after the colon Original: First Suggested revision: first Why it matters: The word after the colon continues the same sentence and should not be capitalised.
- 12. Use the correct adverb Original: as factual as it is Suggested revision: as accurately as possible Why it matters: The adverb should describe how the journalist reports the news.
Suggested Rewrites
- wide broad
- brought by the reporters provided by reporters
- this such
- the truth of the fact factually accurate
- run to make profits operate for profit
- distort their reports to earn ratings distort their reports to attract audiences
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response answers both questions directly, explaining why commercial and political pressures justify caution and identifying impartiality, versatility, and courage as important journalistic qualities. Its main weaknesses are the lack of paragraphing and frequent awkward or inaccurate language that sometimes blurs otherwise relevant ideas. Prioritise a clear trust-versus-qualities structure and revise comparative, reporting, and collocational forms for greater precision and authority.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Detailed feedback by IELTS writing criterion after the annotated essay.
Task Response
Both parts are addressed with relevant reasons and a clear set of qualities, although several claims would benefit from fuller explanation or examples.
State the degree of trust explicitly and illustrate how one named quality protects the public from commercial or political distortion.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument progresses from reasons for caution to journalist qualities, but one long paragraph and list-like sequencing limit organisation.
Use separate paragraphs for trustworthiness and professional qualities, grouping each quality with its explanation.
Lexical Resource
The response shows a broad vocabulary, including unbiased, versatile, and tendentious, but numerous unnatural collocations weaken accuracy.
Replace phrases such as wide knowledge, truth of the fact, earn ratings, and most important personality with natural equivalents.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A range of complex sentences is attempted, but comparative forms, clause patterns, pronoun consistency, and punctuation are frequently inaccurate.
Correct structures such as a much more colourful world and could cause journalists to report biased news.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The news is a source of knowledge about the world. How much can we trust the journalists? What are the qualities a good journalist should have?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.