Some people feel that the legal age at which people can marry should be at least 21. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
It is widely agreed that a happy and stable relationship in marriage is the bedrock of any community, with a greater likelihood of responsible partners, and if children result, harmonious family. Because of this, it is important to support the institution of marriage in every way possible. One important question in relation to this is: at what age should couples be allowed to marry? There are a number of reasons for making the minimum age for matrimony as late as possible. Many would argue that people in their 20s are able to make such more rational decisions than teenagers can. Older people might have seen enough of the world to know that the feelings that they hold for someone at a given moment may not last. They will realise that superficial characteristics like physical beauty and sporting prowess may not be the only ones to bring happiness in a relationship. Older couples are likely to give more consideration to issues such as income and job prospects, but also to less obvious but important personality traits such as tolerance, kindness or moral strength. However, other people contend that it is unrealistic to make couples wait until their 20s before marrying. They suggest that as soon as the boy and the girl reached puberty they should be allowed to marry. To prevent they doing so would result in resentment between the generations, frustration and an increase in the number of unsupported pregnancies. If married teenagers are given enough help to support, they can have children when they are young and healthy enough to enjoy them. Considering both this sets of arguments, I feel that 21 is probably too old but that 18 should be made the legal minimum at which couples can marry.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use precise age wording Original: late Suggested revision: high Why it matters: A minimum age is normally described as high or low rather than late or early.
- 2. Correct comparison form Original: such Suggested revision: much Why it matters: Use “much,” not “such,” to intensify a comparative adjective.
- 3. Use natural collocation Original: hold Suggested revision: have Why it matters: People normally have feelings for someone rather than hold feelings for them.
- 4. Clarify the reference Original: may not be the only ones to bring happiness Suggested revision: may not be the only qualities that bring happiness Why it matters: “Ones” has an unclear reference here, while “qualities” identifies the intended noun.
- 5. Fix additive link Original: , but also to less obvious Suggested revision: , as well as to less obvious Why it matters: “As well as” creates a complete additive structure without requiring an earlier “not only.”
- 6. Use consistent tense Original: as soon as the boy and the girl reached puberty Suggested revision: as soon as young people reach puberty Why it matters: The general claim requires the present tense, and the plural noun avoids an unnecessarily specific pair.
- 7. Correct pronoun structure Original: To prevent they doing so Suggested revision: Preventing them from doing so Why it matters: The verb “prevent” takes an object pronoun followed by “from” and a gerund.
- 8. Remove incomplete phrase Original: enough help to support Suggested revision: enough support Why it matters: “Help to support” is incomplete because it does not state what the teenagers would support.
- 9. Clarify the meaning Original: healthy enough to enjoy them Suggested revision: healthy enough to enjoy raising them Why it matters: Adding “raising” makes clear that the parents would enjoy caring for their children.
- 10. Correct demonstrative agreement Original: this Suggested revision: these Why it matters: The plural noun “sets” requires the plural demonstrative “these.”
- 11. Remove wordiness Original: One important question in relation to this is Suggested revision: One important question is Why it matters: The shorter phrase states the same point more directly.
- 12. Use concise terminology Original: minimum age for matrimony Suggested revision: minimum marriage age Why it matters: The concise phrase is clearer and avoids an unnecessarily formal synonym.
Suggested Rewrites
- late high
- such much
- hold have
- may not be the only ones to bring happiness may not be the only qualities that bring happiness
- , but also to less obvious , as well as to less obvious
- as soon as the boy and the girl reached puberty as soon as young people reach puberty
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response offers a thoughtful comparison of maturity, practical readiness, and the possible consequences of restricting younger couples, ending with a clear preference for eighteen as the minimum age. Its main limitation is that all ideas are presented in one undivided paragraph, while several grammatical slips weaken polish. Prioritise clear paragraph breaks and accurate clause construction so the well-developed argument is easier to follow.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses the proposition directly, explores arguments on both sides, and reaches a clear, relevant conclusion.
State the preferred minimum age near the beginning and develop the case for eighteen more explicitly throughout.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through contrasting positions, but the absence of paragraph breaks makes the structure less visible.
Separate the introduction, each side of the argument, and the conclusion into purposeful paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and often precise, with effective choices for discussing relationships, maturity, and personal qualities.
Refine a few awkward collocations so sophisticated word choices sound consistently natural.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A good range of complex structures communicates the argument clearly despite several noticeable errors in form and clause construction.
Proofread subject forms, pronoun structures, and agreement in phrases such as those describing prevention and support.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people feel that the legal age at which people can marry should be at least 21. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.