Students should be taught academic knowledge so that they can pass exams, and skills such as cooking or dressing should not be taught. To what extent do you agree/disagree?
Sample Response
Some people believehold a belief that schools should be placesschools should be a place where students study academic subjects to pass examinations rather than learn skills such as dressing and cookery. In my opinion, despite the importance of academic study and examinationsthe significance of academic study and exams, students should also be taught fundamental life skills.
On the one hand, acquiringstudying academic knowledge is important to students for several reasonsvital for students in many ways. First, examination results play an important roleexamination results are essential for students’ academic recordsrecord. With good results, they will have an advantage in the national high school exams in which their academic performance after many years of study is considered. Second, academic subjects equip students with foundational knowledge that students will usefundamental knowledge that will be used in tertiary education. For example, most undergraduates in Vietnam are supposed to pass subjects such assubjects, such as Microeconomics and Advanced Mathematics, which involvewhich are comprised of mathematical concepts taught in high schoolmathematical knowledge taught at high school. Without a strong foundation in this knowledgeWithout a deep understanding, students may fail the final exams and have to study these subjects again, which is time-consuming and costly.
However, there are several reasons why students still need to learn practical skills. For instance, when college students live far from their familieslive far from family, life skills such as cooking are useful because they enable students towill be helpful since students will be able to prepare healthy and affordable meals on their own instead of eating out at restaurants. Attending skill-building classes at school is also an effective way for students to unwind after many hours of studying academic subjects. By taking part in these activitiesThrough a wide range of activities, students are able to relax and, as a result, performand as a result perform better in exams.
In conclusion, I disagree that students should only study academic subjects because both academic knowledge and practical skills are equally important and should be taught at school.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response presents a clear position, develops both academic and practical education with relevant examples, and progresses smoothly from one side to the other. Its main limitation is that some support is slightly generic or imprecisely expressed, especially the discussion of examination advantage and mathematical knowledge. Develop the practical-skills case more fully and sharpen several collocations so the argument feels equally persuasive throughout.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The question is fully addressed with a consistent position and relevant support for both academic and practical learning.
Extend the practical-skills argument beyond cooking and relaxation to give that side comparable depth.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay is clearly organised, and ideas progress smoothly within and between appropriately focused paragraphs.
Vary the sequencing language slightly so the development feels less dependent on standard signposts.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of topic vocabulary, though several collocations are slightly awkward or imprecise.
Use more natural combinations when describing examination advantages, academic records, and mathematical foundations.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentence forms are frequent and generally accurate, with only occasional minor control issues.
Check relative clauses and passive constructions carefully to keep references and relationships fully precise.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Students should be taught academic knowledge so that they can pass exams, and skills such as cooking or dressing should not be taught. To what extent do you agree/disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.