Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture.
Sample Response
There is no doubt that studying in a foreign country has many drawbacks and yet the advantages outweigh these problems and offer exciting opportunities to the students. People who stay at home country will never get a different experience and obviously, they are less likely to stay behind the times and advancement. Firstly, the main reasons why students prefer foreign countries for study would be: they always seek some changes regards to their education. If it is foreign countries, they can learn different languages and cultures while it is impossible if they constantly stay at one place. This aspect helps them to gain experience as well as knowledge. For instance, in many overseas countries, once students complete their degree or course, those countries offer a wide variety of opportunities to get into a prestigious company. Furthermore, independent lifestyle is a big and significant part in one person's life. People in abroad are highly benefited. Many people in other countries want to run their life on their own. They aspire for independent life and eventually this would develop their self-esteem and confidence level. In addition to this, people can have a new type of relationships like they can make new friends there and consequently they would be well developed in the language skills. Sometimes people might be suffering from many difficulties but they could develop their ability to tackle the problems. This made them adapt to any kind of environment. They seem to be sociable to everyone. Particularly, these kinds of new experiences teach them to look after themselves in all aspects. Some other advantages of studying in a foreign country include exposure to diverse cultures and customs, better ability to handle international clients in career life, the opportunity to learn more in a better university, the opportunity to work in a worldwide reputed company etc. Often the home companies prefer people with foreign degrees and this in terms of career is a better option for a student who studied in a foreign country. Enhancing confidence and becoming self-dependent is something that abroad studying students automatically gain and this helps to pursuit a better personal and professional life in future. Since this process involves travelling to other country and new places, it is helpful to gain practical experiences as well. However, there are benefits in overseas education, even though some people hold the opinion that it is better to stay at home because in some countries the living and education expenses are too high. Another reason is the personal activities and self-reliance like washing, cleaning should be taken by oneself. It develops their frustration level and also causes stress and strains. In conclusion, I personally believe that the people can get a preferable choice of study in overseas and also it is vital for one begin connection with new people. Certainly, this had a positive impact on students’ career and future life.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove unnecessary article Original: to the students Suggested revision: to students Why it matters: The general plural noun does not need the definite article here.
- 2. Correct preposition and determiner Original: at home country Suggested revision: in their home country Why it matters: Use “in” for location and a possessive determiner before “home country.”
- 3. Use correct expression Original: some changes regards to Suggested revision: changes regarding Why it matters: “Regarding” correctly expresses what the desired changes concern.
- 4. Fix conditional phrase Original: If it is foreign countries Suggested revision: In foreign countries Why it matters: A location phrase is needed rather than an incomplete conditional clause.
- 5. Correct location preposition Original: at Suggested revision: in Why it matters: Use “in” when referring to remaining within a place.
- 6. Add article Original: independent lifestyle Suggested revision: an independent lifestyle Why it matters: The singular countable noun requires an article.
- 7. Correct collocation Original: part in one person's life Suggested revision: part of a person's life Why it matters: The fixed expression is “a part of,” and the general reference is clearer with “a person.”
- 8. Remove incorrect preposition Original: People in abroad Suggested revision: People abroad Why it matters: “Abroad” functions as an adverb and does not take “in.”
- 9. Use natural verb form Original: are highly benefited Suggested revision: benefit greatly Why it matters: The active verb phrase expresses the intended benefit naturally.
- 10. Improve collocation Original: run their life Suggested revision: manage their lives Why it matters: “Manage their lives” is the natural collocation for living independently.
- 11. Fix verb pattern Original: They aspire for independent life Suggested revision: They aspire to an independent life Why it matters: “Aspire” takes “to,” and the singular countable noun needs an article.
- 12. Fix number agreement Original: a new type of relationships Suggested revision: new relationships Why it matters: The singular “a type” conflicts with the plural noun in this context.
Suggested Rewrites
- to the students to students
- at home country in their home country
- some changes regards to changes regarding
- If it is foreign countries In foreign countries
- at in
- independent lifestyle an independent lifestyle
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response maintains a clear preference for overseas study and offers a broad range of relevant benefits, including independence, cultural exposure, and career prospects. Its main limitation is that these points accumulate repetitively in one long body section and are often asserted rather than developed precisely. The highest priority is to organise two or three distinct arguments into clear paragraphs, each supported by a focused explanation or example.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear position is sustained and several relevant benefits and drawbacks are addressed, although many ideas remain general or repetitive.
Develop fewer main reasons in depth and explain exactly how each one supports the preference for overseas study.
Coherence and Cohesion
The argument is broadly understandable, but the very long central paragraph and repeated points weaken progression and paragraphing.
Group related ideas into separate body paragraphs with one controlling idea and a clear logical sequence in each.
Lexical Resource
There is adequate topic vocabulary and some variety, but frequent awkward collocations and imprecise word choices reduce naturalness.
Prioritise accurate combinations such as study abroad, gain independence, and pursue a career over less natural phrasing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mix of sentence forms communicates the main meaning, but recurring errors in articles, prepositions, agreement, and sentence construction limit control.
Review sentence boundaries and noun phrases, then proofread systematically for articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.