Machine translation (MT) is slower and less accurate than human translation and there is no immediate or predictable likelihood of machines taking over this role from humans. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Inaccuracy and lagging in performing the translation by machines, even though the technology is well advanced in the recent decades, making it difficult for them compete with the human. I completely agree that Machine translation will not supplant the Human translators in the near future. In today’s globalised world there are about several hundreds of languages, even though most of the languages is having antecedents to Sanskrit, each is having different grammatical structure and the word meaning tends to change based on the context making it difficult for Machine translation software to attain preciseness in the translated text. As a result of tackling the difficulties in the languages, the software programme had become heavier which in turn caused slowness in translating the text from one language to another. Even our latest supercomputers are not able to translate and compete with humans in terms of speed of translation and accuracy. Humankind had built the effective tool "language" to communicate, express, and share the feelings with each other and practising it for last several 1000 years. Our brains are super-machines and were being taught and practised rigorously to read, understand, and translate the language from one to another in a fraction of a second. Even by today, no computer scientists or any software making giants did not succeed in making a machine capable of competing with the human brain in performing computations. Unless any scientist succeeds in attaining the speed of communication across the computer components similar the brain cells, it is found to be difficult in achieving the speed and accuracy of humans by Machine translation software programmes. As a result of the hurdles in the current technology to attain the speed of the human translators by machines, we can safely conjecture that machines are incapable of supplanting human translators in near future.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use lowercase term Original: Machine Suggested revision: machine Why it matters: “Machine translation” is a common noun and should not be capitalized mid-sentence.
- 2. Remove article and capital Original: the Human translators in Suggested revision: human translators in Why it matters: A general plural noun needs no article, and “human” should not be capitalized.
- 3. Fix tense choice Original: software programme had become Suggested revision: software program has become Why it matters: The present perfect connects the technological development to its current effect.
- 4. Describe software precisely Original: heavier Suggested revision: more complex Why it matters: “More complex” accurately describes software, whereas “heavier” is imprecise here.
- 5. Use concise verb Original: caused slowness in translating Suggested revision: slowed the translation of Why it matters: The revised verb phrase expresses the effect directly and naturally.
- 6. Use neutral determiner Original: our Suggested revision: the Why it matters: The general technological claim does not require the possessive “our.”
- 7. Use parallel terms Original: speed of translation and accuracy Suggested revision: translation speed and accuracy Why it matters: The revised coordination is concise and grammatically parallel.
- 8. Use formal comparison Original: Our brains are super-machines Suggested revision: Human brains are highly efficient processors Why it matters: The revision preserves the comparison while replacing the informal metaphor with formal wording.
- 9. Fix passive construction Original: were being taught and practised rigorously Suggested revision: have been trained rigorously Why it matters: Brains can be trained, but they cannot themselves be “practised.”
- 10. Clarify translation direction Original: the language from one to another Suggested revision: one language into another Why it matters: The standard expression is to translate one language into another.
- 11. Use natural time marker Original: Even by today Suggested revision: Even today Why it matters: “Even today” is the idiomatic phrase for a situation continuing to the present.
- 12. Use paired conjunction Original: no computer scientists or any software making giants Suggested revision: neither computer scientists nor software companies Why it matters: “Neither...nor” correctly coordinates the two negative subjects and replaces the awkward company description.
Suggested Rewrites
- Machine machine
- the Human translators in human translators in
- software programme had become software program has become
- heavier more complex
- caused slowness in translating slowed the translation of
- our the
Why this response received Band 5.5
The essay maintains a clear position and identifies relevant barriers to machine translation, especially contextual meaning and computational limitations. Its strongest feature is the attempt to explain why human language processing remains superior; the main limitation is that several factual claims are inaccurate or oversimplified, and the entire response is one dense paragraph with frequent language errors. The priority is to organize two evidence-based reasons in separate paragraphs and express them through shorter, grammatically controlled sentences.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The position is clear and supported by relevant discussion of context and processing, but inaccurate linguistic and technological claims weaken the argument’s credibility.
Use accurate examples of ambiguity, idiom, cultural context, and current machine limitations rather than broad claims about Sanskrit or computer speed.
Coherence and Cohesion
The reasoning follows a recognizable path from linguistic complexity to human processing and a conclusion, but the single paragraph and overloaded sentences weaken progression.
Use an introduction, one paragraph on contextual accuracy, one on speed and human judgment, and a concise conclusion.
Lexical Resource
The response attempts a substantial range of technical and linguistic vocabulary, but frequent awkward collocations and imprecise wording reduce clarity.
Prefer precise phrases such as “translation errors,” “context-dependent meaning,” “computational demands,” “human translators,” and “replace human expertise.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Frequent errors in sentence formation, agreement, tense, articles, comparisons, and double negatives occur throughout and sometimes obstruct meaning.
Build shorter complete sentences and check forms such as “machines compete,” “languages have,” “humans have developed,” and “scientists have not succeeded.”
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Machine translation (MT) is slower and less accurate than human translation and there is no immediate or predictable likelihood of machines taking over this role from humans. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.