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.
Sample Response
People have different views about learning history and using the knowledge of history to shape the future. Although some people argue that studying history has nothing to offer, others opine that examining history has a great prospect for discovering our past and using the knowledge to shape our future. This essay investigates both views, but I am personally inclined toward the latter viewpoint.
According to some people, learning history is a waste of time and energy. They believe that learning technology and science can bring significantly more benefits to humankind, and the knowledge could be utilised for future development. History, on the contrary, has no utilisation in our daily life, according to them. For instance, science students can experiment and build helpful tools and devices, and this can lead to magnificent future inventions while pupils from history majors are imposed to memorize dates and events from the past.
But according to many others, learning history tells us about past events and prepares us for the future. We can not expect to avoid a large-scale catastrophe if we do not know why it happened in the first place. In the 19th century, for example, Ireland suffered the blight of potatoes, known as the Irish Potato Famine, and it happened because the Irish were largely dependent on potatoes. Had they planted another crop, this could have been avoided. However, this unpleasant history has taught us a great lesson - to cultivate a wide diversity of crops.
In conclusion, people learn important lessons from experience and to build a prosperous nation, we must learn from our history which offers the greatest experience of all. Without knowledge of history, scientific discoveries alone cannot bring a wide range of advantages.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use natural reporting Original: opine Suggested revision: believe Why it matters: ‘Believe’ is a more natural reporting verb in this sentence.
- 2. Correct the collocation Original: examining history has a great prospect for discovering our past Suggested revision: studying history offers a valuable opportunity to understand our past Why it matters: A field of study ‘offers an opportunity’; it does not ‘have a prospect for discovering’ something.
- 3. Use the right verb Original: learning Suggested revision: studying Why it matters: Academic subjects are normally ‘studied’ rather than ‘learned’ in this construction.
- 4. Clarify the reference Original: the knowledge could be utilised Suggested revision: this knowledge could be used Why it matters: ‘This’ gives the singular noun a clear reference to knowledge gained from science and technology.
- 5. Correct the expression Original: no utilisation in our daily life Suggested revision: no practical use in daily life Why it matters: ‘Have no practical use’ is the natural collocation for this meaning.
- 6. Choose a precise adjective Original: magnificent Suggested revision: significant Why it matters: ‘Significant’ describes the importance of inventions more precisely than ‘magnificent’.
- 7. Use the correct term Original: pupils from history majors Suggested revision: history students Why it matters: ‘History students’ is the natural term for people majoring in history.
- 8. Correct the passive form Original: are imposed to memorize Suggested revision: are required to memorise Why it matters: People are ‘required to’ do something; ‘imposed’ cannot take this passive infinitive pattern.
- 9. Signal contrast clearly Original: But according to many others Suggested revision: By contrast, many others believe that Why it matters: The revision creates a cleaner transition from the opposing view.
- 10. Use a natural subject Original: learning history tells us Suggested revision: studying history teaches us Why it matters: ‘Studying history teaches us’ is more idiomatic and accurately describes the learning process.
- 11. Use a precise verb Original: using the knowledge to shape our future Suggested revision: applying this knowledge to shape our future Why it matters: ‘Applying’ describes the practical use of historical knowledge more precisely.
- 12. Correct the collocation Original: suffered the blight of potatoes Suggested revision: suffered from potato blight Why it matters: The natural expression is ‘suffered from potato blight’.
Suggested Rewrites
- opine believe
- examining history has a great prospect for discovering our past studying history offers a valuable opportunity to understand our past
- learning studying
- the knowledge could be utilised this knowledge could be used
- no utilisation in our daily life no practical use in daily life
- magnificent significant
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response’s strongest feature is its clear position and balanced organization, with a concrete historical example that gives the supporting view genuine development. Its main limitation is uneven lexical precision: several expressions sound unnatural, and the opposing view is presented somewhat simplistically. The highest priority is to use more natural academic collocations and explain the practical case against studying history with greater nuance.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are addressed and a clear opinion is maintained, with particularly effective development of history’s practical value.
Develop the opposing view more critically instead of relying mainly on a broad contrast with science and technology.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is logically sequenced, clearly paragraphed, and easy to follow, with effective referencing and transitions.
Make the links between the science example and the claim that history lacks daily utility more explicit.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary shows range, but recurring awkward collocations reduce precision and naturalness.
Replace phrases such as “great prospect,” “pupils from history majors,” and “greatest experience” with natural academic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex structures, including a controlled conditional inversion, are used accurately enough for clear communication.
Refine clause boundaries and constructions such as “are imposed to memorize” to improve grammatical naturalness.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.