Some feel that it is a waste of time to plan for the future and it is more important to focus on the present. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
There is growing sentiment today that making plans for the future can take one out of the present moment. Although it is important to have some general future goals, individuals ought to prioritise right now.
The clear advantage of having goals is that they dictate and align your actions. A good counter-example to support this comes from aimless individuals without any fixed aspirations. It is not uncommon for recent university graduates to feel lost and drift from job to job. This can be a rewarding experience but if it continues too long then one will likely remain in low-paying positions and fall behind one’s peers. A clear goal can motivate a decision on long-term vocation and force one to put in the hard work required to excel.
Despite the general advantages of having some long-term goals listed above, obsessing over the future can impair connection with the present. There are many famous literary examples of this that reveal underlying tensions between capitalist striving and individual contentment, such as in the famous novel Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis. The titular character Babbitt has spent most of his life looking to the future and accomplishing middle class goals. He grows dissatisfied with this life because he no longer feels a vibrant connection to the present moment and his true feelings. His suspension of his deepest desires to meet extrinsic goals set by society alienates him from the present. This is commonly referred to as a mid-life crisis and is very common among driven individuals who reach a pinnacle of success.
In conclusion, emphasis on future goals is one source of modern unhappiness. Individuals must carefully select their goals to distinguish between the life they want and the life they are expected to want.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add missing article Original: There is growing sentiment today Suggested revision: There is a growing sentiment today Why it matters: The singular countable noun phrase needs an article.
- 2. Use natural phrasing Original: take one out of the present moment Suggested revision: distract people from the present moment Why it matters: This wording expresses the intended idea more naturally and directly.
- 3. Complete the object Original: individuals ought to prioritise right now Suggested revision: individuals ought to prioritise the present Why it matters: Prioritise needs a clear object rather than the adverbial phrase right now.
- 4. Refine verb choice Original: dictate Suggested revision: guide Why it matters: Guide is more natural than dictate when describing how goals influence actions.
- 5. Correct example label Original: A good counter-example to support this Suggested revision: A useful example supporting this Why it matters: The example supports the claim rather than contradicting it, so counter-example is inaccurate.
- 6. Fix time phrase Original: if it continues too long then Suggested revision: if this continues for too long, Why it matters: The duration phrase requires for, and the comma correctly separates the conditional clause.
- 7. Fix verb pattern Original: motivate a decision on long-term vocation Suggested revision: motivate someone to choose a long-term vocation Why it matters: The revised verb pattern clearly identifies who makes the vocational choice.
- 8. Add possessive link Original: impair connection with the present Suggested revision: weaken one’s connection with the present Why it matters: The possessive form makes clear whose connection is affected.
- 9. Link example clearly Original: such as in the famous novel Suggested revision: as illustrated in the novel Why it matters: This phrase introduces the literary illustration more precisely and avoids repeating famous.
- 10. Correct word choice Original: suspension Suggested revision: suppression Why it matters: Suppression means deliberately restraining desires, whereas suspension does not convey that meaning here.
- 11. Use definite article Original: a Suggested revision: the Why it matters: The fixed expression normally uses the definite article the.
Suggested Rewrites
- There is growing sentiment today There is a growing sentiment today
- take one out of the present moment distract people from the present moment
- individuals ought to prioritise right now individuals ought to prioritise the present
- dictate guide
- A good counter-example to support this A useful example supporting this
- if it continues too long then if this continues for too long,
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a thoughtful, consistently developed position, using a relevant practical example and a well-integrated literary illustration to explore the value and risks of future planning. Its main limitation is that the final recommendation is slightly less explicit than the nuanced priority stated in the introduction. The highest-priority improvement is to restate that precise degree of agreement clearly in the conclusion.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response fully addresses the question with a clear nuanced position and well-developed, relevant support.
Restate the exact degree of agreement in the conclusion so the final recommendation fully matches the thesis.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive links are clear and unobtrusive.
Make the transition from the benefits of goals to the risks of obsession even more directly comparative.
Lexical Resource
A wide and precise vocabulary conveys abstract ideas naturally, with only occasional slightly awkward collocations.
Refine phrases such as deciding on a long-term vocation to make already sophisticated word choices fully idiomatic.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence forms is used accurately and flexibly, with only minor lapses.
Polish punctuation in longer conditional sentences to maintain complete control at clause boundaries.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some feel that it is a waste of time to plan for the future and it is more important to focus on the present. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.