Some people think it should be the responsibility of the government and the school authority to transport children to school while others think that the parents should do this. Discuss both views and give your opinion on this.
Sample Response
Transporting children to school is an important issue that is often hotly debated. While some people believe that it should be the government's or school authority's responsibility to provide transportation, others argue that parents should take this responsibility. In this essay, I shall discuss both views and argue that parents should take this responsibility.
Those who argue that it is the government's or school authority's responsibility to transport children to school believe that it is a public service that should be provided for free. They argue that providing transportation would reduce the burden on parents who might not have the means and time to take their children to school. In addition, they argue that it would encourage more children to attend school, especially those who live far away from the school or those with disabilities.
On the other hand, those who believe that parents should be responsible for transporting their children to school argue that it is their duty as parents to ensure their children's safety. They believe that parents are best placed to provide transportation because they know their children's needs and can cater to them. Moreover, some argue that providing transportation services can be expensive for the government, and it may not be feasible for all schools to offer transportation.
In my opinion, while it is the government's or school authority's responsibility to provide a safe environment for children to learn, parents should take responsibility to take their children to and from school. Parents should ensure that their children arrive at school safely and on time while also picking them up in due time to ensure their safety.
In conclusion, the transportation of children to school is an important issue, and the parents of young students are in the best position to carry out this responsibility. While the government and school authorities should provide excellent learning environments in schools, parents should take the responsibility of transporting their children to and from school.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Clarify shared responsibility Original: the government's or school authority's responsibility to provide transportation Suggested revision: the responsibility of the government or school authorities to provide transportation Why it matters: The revised possessive structure coordinates the two responsible bodies clearly.
- 2. Use formal wording Original: provided for free Suggested revision: provided free of charge Why it matters: Free of charge is a more formal expression for a public service.
- 3. Correct the logical link Original: and Suggested revision: or Why it matters: Or shows that lacking either resources or time could create a burden.
- 4. Make the phrase concise Original: those who live far away from the school Suggested revision: those who live far from school Why it matters: Far from school expresses the same idea more concisely and naturally.
- 5. Clarify the reference Original: cater to them Suggested revision: meet those needs Why it matters: The revision refers directly to the children's needs and removes pronoun ambiguity.
- 6. Correct the verb pattern Original: take responsibility to take Suggested revision: take responsibility for taking Why it matters: Responsibility is followed by for and a gerund in this construction.
- 7. Remove generic article Original: the parents of young students Suggested revision: parents of young students Why it matters: The article is unnecessary when referring to parents as a general group.
- 8. Correct the noun pattern Original: take the responsibility of transporting Suggested revision: take responsibility for transporting Why it matters: Take responsibility for is the standard grammatical pattern.
- 9. Sentence rewrite Original: In this essay, I shall discuss both views and argue that parents should take this responsibility. Suggested revision: This essay discusses both views and argues that parents should assume this responsibility. Why it matters: The rewrite states the essay's direction more concisely while preserving the position.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: Parents should ensure that their children arrive at school safely and on time while also picking them up in due time to ensure their safety. Suggested revision: Parents should ensure that their children arrive at school safely and on time and are picked up promptly. Why it matters: The rewrite removes repeated references to safety and clarifies the parallel actions.
- 11. Vary repeated reporting Suggested revision: Progress from the public-service claim to the burden on parents and then to access, reducing repeated openings with They argue. Why it matters: A more explicit sequence would make the paragraph's related reasons flow more smoothly.
Suggested Rewrites
- the government's or school authority's responsibility to provide transportation the responsibility of the government or school authorities to provide transportation
- provided for free provided free of charge
- and or
- those who live far away from the school those who live far from school
- cater to them meet those needs
- take responsibility to take take responsibility for taking
Why this response received Band 8.0
The essay addresses both views directly, gives relevant reasons concerning access, disability, cost, feasibility, parental knowledge, and safety, and maintains a clear preference for parental responsibility. Its strongest features are focused paragraphing and controlled language; the main limitation is that the final position does not fully resolve cases where parents lack time or transport. Prioritise a more nuanced recommendation that accommodates vulnerable families while preserving the stated principle.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are well developed and the writer's position is clear and sustained, with relevant support throughout.
Qualify the conclusion by explaining when government or school transport should support children whose parents cannot provide it.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay uses clear, focused paragraphs and logical progression from the two views to the writer's judgement and conclusion.
Reduce minor repetition between the opinion paragraph and conclusion so the final section advances rather than restates the argument.
Lexical Resource
A broad and appropriate vocabulary expresses public-service, accessibility, feasibility, and safety issues precisely, with some repetition.
Vary repeated uses of responsibility, transportation, and provide by using duty, school travel, arrange, and ensure access where appropriate.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of sentence structures is used accurately and flexibly, with only rare non-impeding awkwardness.
Refine phrases such as take responsibility for transporting and pick them up promptly to make the remaining constructions fully natural.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think it should be the responsibility of the government and the school authority to transport children to school while others think that the parents should do this. Discuss both views and give your opinion on this.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.