Some believe children should be taught to give speeches and presentations in school. Why is this? Should this be taught in schools?
Sample Response
Many believe that giving presentations and speeches ought to be a key part of school curricula for children. In my opinion, this is an attempt to develop a number of skills holistically and should be encouraged.
The main reason schools incorporate presentations is to improve skills needed for the future. Children will later be expected to present individually and in groups throughout their academic career and in most work contexts. In order to give a competent presentation, children must first of all develop confidence speaking in front of others and then combine this with careful preparation, repeated practice, research, and, often, team-working skills. Each of these qualities will be useful later and the earlier students begin, the more likely they are to excel in areas that many adults still find challenging.
I would recommend this practice continues since integration of skills contributes to greater progress. Skills developed on their own are often not as memorable. If a young child, for example, must do a book report with a group of other children this requires them to read the book, divide up sections of the presentation, communicate with team members, and deliver an engaging speech at the end. The combination of all skills makes the learning more memorable and likely to develop fixed characteristics. An illustrative analogy would be how an athlete practices for a sport. They can master individual skills on their own but the greatest progress comes when they blend them under the intense pressure of a game.
In conclusion, educators often teach public speaking in order to prepare students for the future and this multidisciplinary approach is a positive. Presentations and speeches are also a good way to combine and review past lessons.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural collocation Original: give a competent presentation Suggested revision: deliver an effective presentation Why it matters: This collocation is more natural for describing a successful presentation.
- 2. Fix recommend structure Original: this practice continues Suggested revision: that this practice continue Why it matters: The verb recommend is correctly followed here by a that-clause with the base verb.
- 3. Add required article Original: since integration of skills Suggested revision: since the integration of skills Why it matters: The singular noun integration requires the definite article in this context.
- 4. Separate the clauses Original: children this Suggested revision: children, this Why it matters: A comma is needed after the introductory conditional clause.
- 5. Clarify the action Original: divide up sections of the presentation Suggested revision: divide the presentation into sections Why it matters: This phrasing states more precisely what the children divide.
- 6. Improve analogy structure Original: would be how Suggested revision: is the way Why it matters: This structure connects the analogy to the following clause more naturally.
- 7. Punctuate coordinated clauses Original: own but Suggested revision: own, but Why it matters: A comma should precede but when it joins two independent clauses.
- 8. Use precise adjective Original: is a positive Suggested revision: is beneficial Why it matters: The adjective expresses the positive evaluation more directly and naturally.
- 9. Refine learning terms Original: combine and review past lessons Suggested revision: integrate and reinforce prior learning Why it matters: These verbs more precisely describe how presentations consolidate earlier learning.
- 10. Sentence rewrite Original: Skills developed on their own are often not as memorable. Suggested revision: Practising individual skills in isolation is often less memorable. Why it matters: The revision makes the learning activity, rather than the skills themselves, the logical subject of memorable.
- 11. Sentence rewrite Original: The combination of all skills makes the learning more memorable and likely to develop fixed characteristics. Suggested revision: Combining these skills makes the learning more memorable and helps develop lasting habits. Why it matters: The revision replaces the unclear phrase fixed characteristics while preserving the claim about integrated practice.
Suggested Rewrites
- give a competent presentation deliver an effective presentation
- this practice continues that this practice continue
- since integration of skills since the integration of skills
- children this children, this
- divide up sections of the presentation divide the presentation into sections
- would be how is the way
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response addresses both questions directly and develops its strongest point—that presentation work combines several transferable skills—with a clear school-based example and useful analogy. Its main limitation is that the justification for teaching presentations remains somewhat narrow and occasionally relies on vague phrasing about lasting characteristics. To improve further, distinguish the reasons more clearly and explain precisely how each claimed skill benefits students beyond the immediate presentation task.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions receive a clear answer, and the central rationale is developed with relevant explanation and examples.
Develop a second distinct reason for school instruction rather than repeatedly emphasizing the integration of transferable skills.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices used clearly and unobtrusively.
Make the contrast between the reason for teaching presentations and the argument for their inclusion even more explicit.
Lexical Resource
A wide vocabulary conveys ideas effectively, though a few combinations such as fixed characteristics are imprecise.
Replace vague or unnatural collocations with more exact expressions, such as lasting habits or transferable abilities.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad range of complex structures is handled accurately, with only occasional non-impeding errors.
Refine the few faulty verb patterns, particularly recommend that this practice continue rather than recommend this practice continues.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some believe children should be taught to give speeches and presentations in school. Why is this? Should this be taught in schools?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.