It is better to learn the way people lived in the past through films and video records than written documents. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Many people think that to study how people lived in the past, we should review filmed records rather than written documents. I neither agree nor disagree with this statement.
I can understand why people strongly agree with the idea. Films and video records offer the watchers a more vivid and believable experience. Because film and video records let the audience get an understanding of past lives through their judgment, it is more impressive. Also, film and video records can hardly exaggerate past events, so the audience will have a more legitimate understanding. Another reason why many people agree is the personal aspect of learning through past videos. For example, if written documents are mainly by scholars, which tend to be objective, films are often based on anecdotes. This aspect makes the audience find the content portrayed more relatable to them when there is a story.
However, I also understand that many people would opt for written documents when learning about the past. Written documents are more easily accessible and are faster to go through than film records. For example, historical or biographical books about past events are available in every bookstore and public library, whereas filmed records sometimes are not accessible for people from other countries. Written documents are also suitable for people who want to get only a brief review of past events because they can flip through the pages quickly. Another reason is that written documents are usually peer-reviewed. Video records stand to be biased because they mostly are for personal uses at that time, while written documents offer an overall perspective verified by historians.
In conclusion, I neither agree nor disagree that there is a superior way to learn about life in the past. Films and video records are for people who want a vivid and personal glimpse of the past, while written documents are for people who want an objective and quick review.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural noun Original: watchers Suggested revision: viewers Why it matters: Viewers is the standard noun for people watching films or videos.
- 2. Choose precise wording Original: legitimate Suggested revision: accurate Why it matters: Accurate directly describes whether an understanding reflects the past reliably.
- 3. Add production verb Original: written documents are mainly by scholars Suggested revision: written documents are mainly produced by scholars Why it matters: Produced is needed to express who creates the documents.
- 4. Clarify the reference Original: which tend to be objective Suggested revision: and therefore tend to be objective Why it matters: The coordinating phrase clearly connects objectivity to the documents rather than ambiguously to scholars.
- 5. Fix adverb and preposition Original: sometimes are not accessible for people from other countries Suggested revision: are sometimes inaccessible to people in other countries Why it matters: This uses natural adverb placement and the correct prepositions with inaccessible.
- 6. Use precise collocation Original: get only a brief review Suggested revision: obtain only a brief overview Why it matters: Overview is the natural noun for a short general account of an event.
- 7. Correct the expression Original: stand to be biased Suggested revision: may be biased Why it matters: May be biased expresses possibility naturally, whereas stand to be is misused here.
- 8. Use uncountable noun Original: uses Suggested revision: use Why it matters: Use is uncountable in this fixed expression.
- 9. Improve word choice Original: objective and quick review Suggested revision: objective and concise overview Why it matters: Concise overview more naturally describes a brief account of the past.
- 10. Use precise wording Original: review filmed records Suggested revision: consult film and video records Why it matters: Consult more naturally describes using records as sources for historical study.
- 11. Avoid repetitive wording Original: strongly agree with the idea Suggested revision: strongly favour this approach Why it matters: This phrasing avoids repeating agree while referring clearly to the learning method.
- 12. Specify the experience Original: a more vivid and believable experience Suggested revision: a more vivid and convincing learning experience Why it matters: Learning experience makes the comparison's educational focus explicit.
Suggested Rewrites
- watchers viewers
- legitimate accurate
- written documents are mainly by scholars written documents are mainly produced by scholars
- which tend to be objective and therefore tend to be objective
- sometimes are not accessible for people from other countries are sometimes inaccessible to people in other countries
- get only a brief review obtain only a brief overview
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response presents a clear, balanced position and supports both learning formats with relevant advantages, while its paragraphing and progression are easy to follow. Some reasoning is asserted too confidently or expressed imprecisely, especially claims about objectivity and exaggeration, and several awkward collocations reduce clarity. The highest priority is to develop each comparison with more logically convincing evidence and more precise phrasing.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response maintains a clear, nuanced position and develops relevant reasons for the usefulness of both formats.
Support the comparisons with more convincing reasoning and avoid unsupported claims about either medium's reliability.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through distinct paragraphs, with generally effective sequencing and referencing.
Strengthen links between supporting points so each paragraph builds a more unified argument rather than listing advantages.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is sufficiently varied for the topic, but several collocations and word choices are imprecise or unnatural.
Replace phrases such as "watchers" and "legitimate understanding" with more natural, context-specific wording.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A useful range of sentence structures is evident, although recurring awkward clauses and agreement or modifier problems reduce control.
Review complex sentences for clear clause relationships, accurate reference, and consistent subject-verb agreement.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
It is better to learn the way people lived in the past through films and video records than written documents. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.