Success is often measured by wealth and material belongings in modern times. Do you think wealth is the best measure of success? What, in your opinion, makes a person successful in life?
Sample Response
In contemporary society, success is oftenoftentimes equated with financial prosperity and material assetsthe possession of material assets. While wealth is undoubtedly one aspect of success, it is far from the definitive yardstickfar from being the definitive yardstick. In my opinion, true success is multifaceted, encompassing several dimensionsvarious elements beyond financial wealthmonetary riches.
While wealth does play a role in measuring success, it cannot be considered the sole determinant. Success should be viewed through a broader lens that includes personal fulfillment, contentment, and the achievement of one's aspirations and goalspersonal fulfillment, contentment, and achieving one's aspirations and goals. Consequently, an individual should be evaluated based on their accomplishments, contributions to society, personal growth, and overall happiness rather than on their financial status alonerather than purely their financial status. For instance, someone who dedicates their life to a noble cause, makes a significant impact in their community, or attains self-actualization through creative pursuits can be considered highly successful despite not being wealthyimmensely successful despite not being immensely wealthy.
QualitiesIn my opinion, qualities such as resilience, perseverance, determination, and the ability to overcome obstacles are integral components of success. A person's success is often rooted in their abilitycapability to face adversity, learn from failures, and adapt to changechanges. For instance, an individual who faces numerous setbacks but continues to strive towards their goals with unwavering determination embodies the essence of success, irrespective of their financial standing.
In conclusion, while wealth can be a facet of success, considering it the ultimate measure is overly simplistic and limitingit is overly simplistic and limited to consider it the ultimate measure. Genuine success encompasses a multitude of aspects such as personal fulfillment, contributions to society, resilience, and perseverance. Therefore, a person's success should be assessed holistically, taking into account their achievements, growth, and impact on others beyond material wealth.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response directly answers both questions through a clear, consistent position and develops a coherent account of success based on fulfilment, contribution, resilience, and growth. Its main limitation is that the supporting examples remain hypothetical and some key ideas and vocabulary are repeated rather than explored with greater specificity. The highest-priority refinement is to use one concrete, well-explained example to deepen the otherwise strong argument.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both parts of the task are fully addressed through a clear position and well-developed, relevant ideas.
Strengthen the argument further by replacing one generic hypothetical illustration with a specific, fully analysed example.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced across focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices and referencing managed effectively.
Reduce minor repetition between the thesis, body points, and conclusion so each stage adds a distinct layer of reasoning.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide, precise, and well suited to the abstract topic, with only slight repetition of central terms.
Vary repeated references to success and wealth selectively while preserving the response's strong precision and natural tone.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used accurately and flexibly, with only rare awkwardness.
Refine occasional heavy constructions, such as impersonal evaluation phrases, to make already accurate sentences more concise and natural.
Write this task while it is fresh
Try the same task now. It helps you remember the feedback and write better next time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Success is often measured by wealth and material belongings in modern times. Do you think wealth is the best measure of success? What, in your opinion, makes a person successful in life?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.