Some people think that studying history is a waste of time while others think it is essential for us to learn history. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
This response is estimated at Band 7.5. Can you write a better one?
Write yours and get clear feedback on all four criteria.
- Closest to official scores
- What to fix on each criterion
- Feedback in about 20 seconds · free
Sample Response
There are differing opinions on whether studying history is a worthwhile pursuit or a waste of time. Those who argue that history is a waste of time often believe that it has no practical applications in modern society, while others contend that it is essential to learn from the past in order to make informed decisions about the future. This essay considers both viewsIn this essay, I will discuss both views, but personallybut, personally, I think that studying history is not essential.
On the one hand, proponents of studying history believe that it is essential for us to learn from the past to avoid repeating the same mistakesin order to avoid repeating the same mistakes. History provides a basisframework for understanding the present and helps us appreciatehelps us to appreciate the context in which we live. It also allows us to learn from the successes and failures of previous generations and to buildprevious generations, and to build on their achievements.
On the other hand, those who believe that studying history is a waste of time argue that it is irrelevant to modern life. They claim that the past cannot be changedpast is gone and cannot be changed, so there is no need to dwell on it. Furthermore, they argue that history is subjective, with different interpretations of events depending on who is telling the story. This can lead to confusion and a lack of agreement on what actually happened.
In my opinion, studying history is not vital and can often wastekill our valuable time. Some people argue thatSome say that without a thorough understanding of our past, we cannot shape the future. But in reality, no matter how much knowledge we gather about wars and conflicts of the past, the world will always have wars and conflicts. In addition, studying history is not only irrelevant but also impractical, as it does not provide any tangible benefits in terms of employability or career advancement.
In conclusion, while there are differing views on the value of studying history, I firmly believe that it is not an essential pursuit. ByThrough studying the past, we can gain few useful insightsvery few valuable insights about the future. Moreover, these insights are not practicalthey are not practical and have little value in today's job market.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The essay presents a clear position, discusses both sides in a balanced structure, and develops its reasoning with relevant explanations. Its main weakness is occasional imprecision or awkward phrasing, particularly in the final paragraph, alongside some claims that could be supported more concretely. Strengthen the argument by replacing absolute assertions with specific evidence and checking pronoun reference and natural collocation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are fully addressed and the writer's position remains clear, with relevant ideas that are generally well extended.
Support the claims about recurring conflict and employability with a concrete example or more nuanced reasoning.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through well-focused paragraphs, and cohesive devices usually connect sentences and viewpoints smoothly.
Reduce repeated restatement of the central contrast and make the final pronoun reference fully explicit.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and generally precise, though a few combinations such as kill our valuable time are unnatural or overstated.
Choose more idiomatic academic phrasing and avoid absolute wording when a qualified expression would be more exact.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used with strong control, with only occasional awkward constructions and reference errors.
Check concluding sentences for unambiguous subjects and revise isolated awkward patterns such as Through studying the past.