Discipline is an ever-increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents. Discuss both the views and give your opinion.
Sample Response
In recent years, discipline has emerged as a significant problem in modern schools, and there is debate over whether teachers or parents should be primarily responsible for managing it. While both parties have important roles, I believe that teachers have a more immediate impact in shaping students’ behavior during school hours.
Supporters of teacher-led discipline argue that educators have the necessary training, authority, and experience to manage classrooms effectively. Teachers can implement rules, reward good behavior, and apply consistent consequences to address disruptive conduct. For instance, a teacher can intervene immediately if a student is bullying another, preventing further harm and setting a clear example for others.
Conversely, many believe that parents carry the ultimate responsibility because children often internalize values and behavior patterns learned at home. Teaching respect, honesty, and self-control from an early age helps students respond appropriately to authority figures at school. Without parental guidance, even the strictest school policies may fail to produce long-term behavioral improvements.
In conclusion, discipline is a shared responsibility, but teachers play a crucial role in enforcing rules and maintaining order during school hours. Cooperation between parents and teachers is essential to ensure that children develop both moral values and proper behavior, helping to address the growing problem of indiscipline.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Add the article Original: there is debate over Suggested revision: there is a debate over Why it matters: Debate is a singular countable noun in this context and needs an article.
- 2. Improve role collocation Original: impact Suggested revision: role Why it matters: Role in shaping is a more natural collocation for describing teachers’ influence.
- 3. Choose precise verb Original: implement Suggested revision: establish Why it matters: Establish more precisely describes teachers setting classroom rules.
- 4. Improve consequence collocation Original: apply Suggested revision: impose Why it matters: Impose is the more natural formal verb with consequences.
- 5. Clarify the object Original: a student is bullying another Suggested revision: a student is bullying another student Why it matters: Repeating student makes the object explicit and avoids a slightly vague nominal use of another.
- 6. Use formal collocation Original: carry Suggested revision: bear Why it matters: Bear responsibility is the conventional formal collocation.
- 7. Improve noun phrase Original: behavior patterns learned at home Suggested revision: patterns of behavior learned at home Why it matters: The revised noun phrase reads more naturally in formal prose.
- 8. Use natural collocation Original: improvements Suggested revision: change Why it matters: Behavioral change is the more established expression for lasting changes in conduct.
- 9. Refine word choice Original: both moral values and proper behavior Suggested revision: both sound moral values and appropriate behavior Why it matters: Sound and appropriate express the intended positive qualities more precisely.
- 10. Use familiar phrasing Original: the growing problem of indiscipline Suggested revision: the growing problem of poor discipline Why it matters: Poor discipline is clearer and more widely understood than indiscipline.
Suggested Rewrites
- there is debate over there is a debate over
- impact role
- implement establish
- apply impose
- a student is bullying another a student is bullying another student
- carry bear
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response is strongest in its concise, logical discussion of both teachers' and parents' roles, supported by clear examples and highly controlled language. However, at 208 words it is substantially under length, which limits the depth of the comparison and leaves the preference for teachers only briefly justified. The priority is to add a developed explanation of why teachers should carry greater responsibility while preserving the clear shared-responsibility conclusion.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both views and states a clear opinion, but its under-length treatment limits development of the comparative judgement.
Extend the argument beyond 250 words by explaining why teachers' immediate influence should outweigh parents' foundational role.
Coherence and Cohesion
The compact response progresses smoothly through distinct positions to a consistent conclusion, with well-controlled referencing and linking.
Add a fuller evaluative paragraph while maintaining the same clear sequence and paragraph focus.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and natural across the discussion of authority, values, and behaviour, with minimal repetition.
Broaden the evaluative vocabulary used to distinguish immediate classroom control from long-term parental influence.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with sentences remaining clear and virtually error-free.
Maintain this level of control while adding more developed comparison and qualification in a longer response.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Discipline is an ever-increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents. Discuss both the views and give your opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.