Some people believe that the newspaper is the best way to learn about news, while others believe that a more effective way is through other media. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Sample Response
The news, with a variety of ways to access it, allows people to develop insight into the world. While some people think that newspapers are the best medium to learn about news, others prefer other media for their effectiveness. In this debate, I am inclined to agree with the latter view.
There are reasons to believe the claim about newspapers’ superiority. Firstly, these publications are often seen as reliable sources of information, as they are usually produced by experienced journalists and editors. Consequently, newspaper articles provide a more in-depth look at the unfolding stories, allowing readers to better understand the issue featured. In addition, as they are available as printed and online publications, newspapers can be easily accessed by the population. People who want to learn about current events can pick up newspapers from a newsstand on their way to work, read articles online, or pay a subscription fee to have the news delivered to them. It is therefore no exaggeration that the newspaper has remained popular for centuries.
However, other media can be just as effective in this regard. Televisions, for instance, are even more informative than newspapers as a news medium, as the coverage is visual. By watching newscasts on television, viewers can see the details, while commentary is provided audibly by the reporters. At the same time, televisions can be placed in public spaces like the airport or government buildings, ensuring universal access to information. The Internet is a competitor as well, thanks to being able to produce real-time updates. It provides places, such as social networks, where participants can contribute to developing news stories with their first-hand experience and perspectives. These points make it so that newspapers can easily pale in comparison to other means of obtaining news, in terms of effectiveness.
In conclusion, while newspapers can provide more in-depth analysis, news featured on other media are likely more accessible and up-to-date, which makes newspapers the inferior option. Nevertheless, it is up to the individual to decide which source of news is most suitable.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use a direct clause Original: claim about newspapers’ superiority Suggested revision: claim that newspapers are superior Why it matters: A ‘that’ clause expresses the proposition more directly and naturally.
- 2. Clarify the reference Original: issue featured Suggested revision: issue being covered Why it matters: News reports ‘cover’ an issue, making this the more natural collocation.
- 3. Use natural phrasing Original: population Suggested revision: public Why it matters: ‘The public’ is the idiomatic collective noun for newspaper readers here.
- 4. Use accurate linkage Original: It is therefore no exaggeration that Suggested revision: It is therefore unsurprising that Why it matters: The preceding accessibility examples support an unsurprising outcome rather than an issue of exaggeration.
- 5. Name the medium Original: Televisions, for instance, are Suggested revision: Television, for instance, is Why it matters: The singular uncountable form refers to television as a medium rather than to physical sets.
- 6. Name the physical objects Original: televisions can be placed Suggested revision: television screens can be placed Why it matters: Physical screens, rather than the medium of television, can be installed in public spaces.
- 7. Clarify the subject Original: thanks to being able to produce Suggested revision: because it can provide Why it matters: The finite clause clearly identifies the internet as the source of real-time updates.
- 8. Choose the right noun Original: places Suggested revision: platforms Why it matters: Social networks are platforms for participation rather than physical or abstract ‘places’ provided by the internet.
- 9. Clarify the means Original: with their first-hand experience and perspectives Suggested revision: by sharing their first-hand experiences and perspectives Why it matters: The prepositional phrase now clearly explains how participants contribute to stories.
- 10. Tighten the result link Original: make it so that Suggested revision: mean that Why it matters: The concise verb creates a clearer result relationship between the evidence and comparison.
- 11. Fix agreement and preposition Original: news featured on other media are Suggested revision: news featured in other media is Why it matters: ‘News’ is an uncountable singular noun, and content is featured ‘in’ a medium.
- 12. Sentence rewrite Original: The news, with a variety of ways to access it, allows people to develop insight into the world. Suggested revision: People can access news in various ways, allowing them to develop a better understanding of the world. Why it matters: The rewrite removes the illogical suggestion that the news itself possesses methods of access.
Suggested Rewrites
- claim about newspapers’ superiority claim that newspapers are superior
- issue featured issue being covered
- population public
- It is therefore no exaggeration that It is therefore unsurprising that
- Televisions, for instance, are Television, for instance, is
- televisions can be placed television screens can be placed
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response fully discusses both perspectives, maintains a clear preference for other media, and develops its comparison through specific, logically sequenced examples. Its main limitation is a small number of awkward lexical choices and minor grammatical lapses, while the final qualification slightly softens the otherwise firm opinion. The priority is to sharpen wording and ensure the conclusion states the position with complete consistency.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The essay addresses both views thoroughly, gives a clear opinion, and supports each side with relevant explanations of reliability, accessibility, visual coverage, and immediacy.
Keep the final qualification fully aligned with the stated preference so the conclusion cannot be read as retreating from the main judgement.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is easy to follow, with focused paragraphs, clear internal progression, and cohesive devices used effectively throughout.
Reduce minor reliance on overt sequencing phrases where the logical relationship between adjacent sentences is already clear.
Lexical Resource
A wide and generally precise vocabulary supports detailed comparison, despite a few awkward choices such as provided audibly and developing news stories.
Replace the few unnatural combinations with idiomatic alternatives while preserving the response's strong range and specificity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex and varied sentence forms are used with strong control, and the few errors, including agreement with news, do not affect clarity.
Check agreement and generic noun forms in the final proofread, especially with uncountable nouns and references to media types.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people believe that the newspaper is the best way to learn about news, while others believe that a more effective way is through other media. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.