People who have original ideas are of much greater value to society than those who are simply able to copy the ideas of others well. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Sample Response
People are born with different abilities and talents. Some being unique and some are common to all. Sometimes those with unique talents come up with ideas that are completely new, creative and astonishing. However, there lingers this question “Are they greater than us? “.
In my honest opinion, every single human being should be treated and valued the same. No single person is greater than another. From the start of the human race to the present, no society was made by one man. It has always being a combined and a collective effort of everyone.
Sir Isaac Newton, the great physicist was someone who revolutionised the field of physics. Every single individual respects and acknowledges him for his achievements and contribution to the human race. But does that mean only people of his stature are needed in the society? I say NO. Ideas of Newton have been taken by other individuals to come up with wonders that even Newton could not have imagined of. The Space Shuttles, Aircraft, Architectures, Construction, Sports are all based on ideas of another person. The computer was a machine that was created by an individual. However, this idea was copied by others to build things which are even greater. From simple electronics like calculators to marvels such as supercomputers, Artificial Intelligence, Robots.
As a conclusion, like Ying and Yang, a society co-exists with the talents and ideas of all people combined.No individual is of much greater value than another. The day society starts considering that people with original ideas are of much greater value, will be the downfall of that society.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Use a natural introduction Original: there lingers this question Suggested revision: the question remains: Why it matters: This is a clearer and more idiomatic way to introduce the quoted question.
- 2. Close the quotation correctly Original: us? “. Suggested revision: us?” Why it matters: The question mark should be followed by a closing quotation mark without an additional full stop.
- 3. Remove redundant wording Original: my honest opinion Suggested revision: my opinion Why it matters: 'Opinion' already presents the writer's genuine view, so 'honest' is unnecessary.
- 4. Use the adverb form Original: treated and valued the same Suggested revision: treated and valued equally Why it matters: The adverb 'equally' modifies both passive verbs more precisely.
- 5. Use precise formal wording Original: no society was made by one man Suggested revision: no society has been built by one person Why it matters: 'Built' is the natural metaphor for creating a society, and 'person' is inclusive.
- 6. Correct the participle Original: being Suggested revision: been Why it matters: The present perfect requires the past participle 'been'.
- 7. Remove repetition Original: a combined and a collective effort Suggested revision: a collective effort Why it matters: 'Combined' and 'collective' repeat the same idea.
- 8. Close the appositive Original: the great physicist was someone Suggested revision: the great physicist, was someone Why it matters: The descriptive appositive needs a closing comma before the main verb.
- 9. Use the plural noun Original: contribution Suggested revision: contributions Why it matters: The general reference to Newton's work requires the count noun in its plural form.
- 10. Remove the article Original: in the society Suggested revision: in society Why it matters: Use 'society' without an article when referring to society in general.
- 11. Use an academic register Original: NO Suggested revision: no Why it matters: Full capitalization is unnecessarily emphatic in a formal essay.
- 12. Use the possessive form Original: Ideas of Newton Suggested revision: Newton's ideas Why it matters: The possessive form is the natural way to attribute the ideas to Newton.
Suggested Rewrites
- there lingers this question the question remains:
- us? “. us?”
- my honest opinion my opinion
- treated and valued the same treated and valued equally
- no society was made by one man no society has been built by one person
- being been
Why this response received Band 6.0
The response maintains a clear disagreement and uses recognisable examples to argue that innovation depends on collective contribution. Its main limitation is that it often treats the question as one of equal human worth rather than comparing social value, while the central Newton example becomes loosely organised and list-like. The highest-priority improvement is to address the exact comparison directly with two clearly developed reasons, then revise recurring sentence fragments and verb-form errors.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
A clear position is maintained and relevant examples are offered, but the discussion partly shifts from social value to equal treatment and human worth.
Compare the contributions of original thinkers and effective adapters directly, explaining precisely why neither group should be valued more highly.
Coherence and Cohesion
The main line of argument is understandable and paragraphing is evident, though the long example paragraph becomes loosely connected and list-like.
Divide the supporting case into clearly sequenced points and replace fragments and abrupt lists with fully developed explanations.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is adequate for the topic and includes some less common items, but several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward.
Use more precise academic phrasing and correct expressions such as 'imagined of', plural 'architectures', and the misuse of 'co-exists'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Simple and complex structures are both attempted, but recurring fragments, verb-form errors, article problems, and punctuation lapses reduce control.
Prioritise complete sentence construction and accurate verb forms, especially correcting patterns such as 'Some being' and 'has always being'.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
People who have original ideas are of much greater value to society than those who are simply able to copy the ideas of others well. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.