Life teaches us the lessons, and such lessons are the keys to success. How far do you agree with this statement, and do you think formal education is important or people should rely on their life experiences.
Sample Response
Life teaches us lessons in every stage of life, even if we are educated or not. Some people think there is a need for formal education one can rely on life lessons. Others think one cannot get success in their life without getting an education. I believe that formal education is necessary for everyone, at least at some specific level.
Without education, one cannot achieve theirs based on real-life experiences. If individuals do not get an education, they are not able to research several things like, In the medical profession, one cannot prescribe medicine on the basis of life experience. As well as in Science there is need to get higher studies to achieve their goals.
Furthermore, if humans get the education, they came to know about earlier flaws that earlier people had done to overcome these hurdles; they need to study and do some experiments. Moreover, few people manage to succeed on the merit of the lesson from life. The vast majority have a higher degree from reputed international institutions. Nowadays, companies have the requirement of educated and talented candidates.
On the other hand, there are several things which we can learn from our life. Life experiences constantly improve our ability by learning from our mistakes. Some successful businessmen and politicians are not well educated, but they still got success and gave their best. To cite an example, Smriti Irani, one famous Indian politician, is not well educated. However still, she is well known as a great politician due to their efforts and ability.
In conclusion, lessons we learned from our life are pertinent and play a crucial role in success in our lives. However, I believe that everyone needs formal education because there is some sector where one cannot achieve their desired goal.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Correct preposition Original: in Suggested revision: at Why it matters: Use 'at' when referring to a stage in a process or lifetime.
- 2. Use whether construction Original: even if we are educated or not Suggested revision: whether or not we are educated Why it matters: The paired structure 'whether or not' correctly presents the two alternatives.
- 3. Use natural collocation Original: get success in their life Suggested revision: achieve success in life Why it matters: 'Achieve success' is the standard collocation in this context.
- 4. Clarify degree Original: at some specific level Suggested revision: to a certain level Why it matters: This phrasing expresses the intended minimum degree of education more naturally.
- 5. Clarify the example Original: research several things like, In the medical profession Suggested revision: acquire specialised knowledge; for example, in medicine Why it matters: The original wording uses 'research' and 'like' inaccurately and does not connect the example clearly.
- 6. Make phrasing concise Original: on the basis of life experience Suggested revision: solely from life experience Why it matters: This concise phrase clearly conveys that experience alone is insufficient.
- 7. Remove unnecessary article Original: the Suggested revision: an Why it matters: Education takes the indefinite article here when referring to a person's formal schooling.
- 8. Maintain present tense Original: came Suggested revision: come Why it matters: The present tense is needed to match the general statement introduced by 'if'.
- 9. Use accurate collocation Original: earlier flaws that earlier people had done Suggested revision: past mistakes made by others Why it matters: People make mistakes rather than do flaws, and the revision avoids repetition.
- 10. Use natural expression Original: on the merit of the lesson from life Suggested revision: through lessons learned from life Why it matters: The replacement expresses the means of succeeding in natural English.
- 11. Match plural subject Original: a higher degree from reputed international institutions Suggested revision: higher degrees from reputable international institutions Why it matters: The plural subject 'The vast majority' requires a plural object, and 'reputable' is the appropriate adjective.
- 12. Use direct verb Original: have the requirement of Suggested revision: require Why it matters: The verb 'require' expresses the meaning directly and idiomatically.
Suggested Rewrites
- in at
- even if we are educated or not whether or not we are educated
- get success in their life achieve success in life
- at some specific level to a certain level
- research several things like, In the medical profession acquire specialised knowledge; for example, in medicine
- on the basis of life experience solely from life experience
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response presents a clear position and considers both formal education and learning from experience, with relevant examples that generally support the argument. Its main limitation is that several ideas are expressed vaguely or with weak logical explanation, while frequent grammatical and collocational errors reduce precision. The highest priority is to develop each main claim through a clear cause-and-effect explanation using accurate sentence structures.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both questions and maintains a clear preference for formal education, though some supporting ideas remain general or unclear.
Develop each main point with a precise explanation of how education or experience contributes to success.
Coherence and Cohesion
The paragraph structure and overall progression are clear, but some links within paragraphs are abrupt or mechanically signposted.
Build smoother progression by connecting each example directly to the claim it is intended to support.
Lexical Resource
There is enough vocabulary to discuss the topic, but frequent inaccurate collocations and word choices reduce precision.
Prioritise natural academic combinations such as achieve success, gain an education, and learn from experience.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response attempts a mix of sentence forms, but recurring errors in articles, agreement, pronouns, and clause construction weaken control.
Proofread for complete clause structures and consistent subject-verb and pronoun agreement before adding further complexity.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Life teaches us the lessons, and such lessons are the keys to success. How far do you agree with this statement, and do you think formal education is important or people should rely on their life experiences.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.