Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer. What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?
Sample Response
Whether a university’s role should be to prepare graduates for specific jobs or simply to educate without a particular vocation in mind is a debatable issue. This essay believes that universities fulfill both purposes. The essay will first discuss the function of vocational courses, followed by a discussion of more traditional tertiary education. Some students have a very specific job in mind when they enroll at university. Medicine, dentistry and accountancy have clear career paths and they allow people to focus on and then undertake a certain profession upon graduation. This suits those who have decided on a career and it avoids them wasting time studying a more general subject like English. For instance, in the United States, you must complete four years of higher education before you can study law and many feel that these four years are a waste of time, that would have been better used focusing on their chosen discipline. However, this is not suitable for everyone and many people have no idea what job they would like to do when they are 18. For these young people, it is better to do a non-vocational course, such as philosophy and simply add to their intellect without a career goal in mind. If they were forced to study a more practical subject, they are more likely to quit or become disillusioned because they don’t see the point of their chosen subject. For example, The Times recently reported that only 50% of law graduates actually want to become lawyers at the end of their studies. In conclusion, the function of college is to both prepare students for the workforce and provide knowledge and which one a person chooses should depend on their preference at the time.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use an accurate verb Original: believes Suggested revision: argues Why it matters: An essay can argue a position, whereas believes awkwardly attributes a mental state to the text.
- 2. Clarify the pronoun Original: and they allow people Suggested revision: and these courses allow people Why it matters: Naming the courses removes ambiguity about whether they refers to the subjects or career paths.
- 3. Improve career collocation Original: focus on and then undertake a certain profession Suggested revision: prepare for and then enter a particular profession Why it matters: Enter a profession is a more natural collocation than undertake a profession.
- 4. Improve verb pattern Original: it avoids them wasting time Suggested revision: it prevents them from spending time Why it matters: Prevent someone from doing something is the clearer formal construction here.
- 5. Specify the referent Original: However, this is not suitable Suggested revision: However, vocational education is not suitable Why it matters: The explicit noun phrase makes the contrast easier to follow.
- 6. Close the example phrase Original: , such as philosophy and Suggested revision: , such as philosophy, and Why it matters: The inserted comma closes the parenthetical example before the coordinated verb phrase.
- 7. Use natural phrasing Original: add to their intellect Suggested revision: broaden their knowledge Why it matters: Broaden their knowledge expresses the intended educational benefit more naturally.
- 8. Complete the conditional Original: If they were forced to study a more practical subject, they are more likely Suggested revision: If they were forced to study a more practical subject, they would be more likely Why it matters: The hypothetical if-clause requires would in the result clause.
- 9. Use concise phrasing Original: a debatable issue Suggested revision: a subject of debate Why it matters: The revision conveys the disagreement more concisely and formally.
- 10. Use career terminology Original: very specific job in mind Suggested revision: particular career in mind Why it matters: Career better matches the long-term professional path discussed in the paragraph.
- 11. Clarify the reference Original: This suits those Suggested revision: This approach suits those Why it matters: Approach identifies the vocational route referred to by this.
- 12. Use formal comparison Original: a more general subject like English Suggested revision: a broader subject such as English Why it matters: Broader and such as give the comparison a more precise academic tone.
Suggested Rewrites
- believes argues
- and they allow people and these courses allow people
- focus on and then undertake a certain profession prepare for and then enter a particular profession
- it avoids them wasting time it prevents them from spending time
- However, this is not suitable However, vocational education is not suitable
- , such as philosophy and , such as philosophy, and
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear, nuanced view that universities can serve both vocational and knowledge-based purposes, and each side is supported with relevant explanation and examples. Its main weakness is presentation as one continuous paragraph, which obscures the otherwise logical shift between the two functions, while a few grammatical slips reduce polish. Prioritise dividing the argument into clear body paragraphs and tightening sentence control.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response directly answers the question with a clear dual-function position and develops both functions through relevant reasoning and examples.
Clarify more explicitly how the two functions together constitute the university’s main role rather than simply serving different student preferences.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress clearly from vocational education to learning for its own sake, but the entire response is presented as one paragraph.
Separate the introduction, contrasting body arguments, and conclusion into distinct paragraphs to strengthen the visible structure.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, topic-appropriate, and generally precise, with effective language for vocational and non-vocational education.
Refine occasional awkward expressions such as “add to their intellect” to achieve more natural precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses a broad range of complex structures with strong overall control, although several local errors remain.
Correct faulty clause joins and conditional consistency, especially in the law example and the sentence beginning “If they were forced”.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer. What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.