The role of parents and family in the future success of a person is more important than knowledge and skills learnt at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
The significance of parents and family relative to school educationparents and family versus school education in shaping a person’s future success has long been debated. While some argue that parental guidance and familyfamilial support are paramount, others contend that knowledge and skills acquired in school play a pivotal role. Personally, I believe that the role of parents and family, although crucial, should not overshadow the importance of formal education in future successin determining future success.
To begin, parents and family undoubtedly have a profound impact on a person’s development. From an early age, children internaliseabsorb values, attitudes, and behaviours from their family environment. Parents provide emotional support, developnurture talents, and instil vital life skills such as resilience, discipline, and a strong work ethicwork ethic. The role of parents in nurturing confidence, fostering interpersonal skills, and encouraging personal growth cannot be overstatedunderstated.
However, the argument that parents and family solely determine a person’s success is flawed. School education equips individuals with essential knowledge, critical-thinking skillscritical thinking abilities, and academic qualifications that provide a foundation for future opportunitiesform the foundation for future opportunities. Schools provide a structured learning environment, exposure to diverse perspectives, and opportunities for social interaction and skill developmenta platform for social interaction and skill development. Furthermore, formal education fosters independence, adaptability, and the ability to navigate challenges beyond the family environmentfamilial context.
In conclusion, while the role of parents and family in shaping a person’s success is undeniably important, it is equally crucial to acknowledge the vital role of formal education in preparing individuals for the challenges and opportunities they will encounter in their lives. Parents and family provide a nurturing environment, values, and life skills, while schools offer a comprehensive education, knowledge acquisition, and social growth. Therefore, a balanced approach that appreciates the significance of both aspects is the key to fostering holistic development and maximising future success.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response presents a consistently clear, nuanced position and develops the complementary roles of family and education in a logical, polished structure. Its main limitation is that several points remain broad and asserted rather than supported with concrete illustration, while some wording is repetitive or formulaic. The highest-priority improvement is to deepen one key comparison with a specific, plausible example that directly demonstrates why neither influence should dominate.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses the comparative claim directly, sustains a clear nuanced disagreement, and develops relevant reasons for valuing both influences.
Support one central claim with a specific example that demonstrates how family influence and formal education contribute differently to success.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through a clear introduction, two focused body paragraphs, and a conclusion that consistently reinforces the position.
Reduce repeated references to parents, family, and formal education by using tighter cross-sentence referencing where the meaning remains clear.
Lexical Resource
A broad and precise vocabulary supports the argument effectively, with only occasional formulaic phrasing and a minor collocational lapse.
Replace stock expressions with more exact comparative wording and revise the phrase about importance so its intended meaning is unambiguous.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence structures is used accurately and naturally throughout, with strong control of punctuation and agreement.
Refine a few heavily layered sentences in the conclusion so their grammatical complexity remains concise as well as accurate.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
The role of parents and family in the future success of a person is more important than knowledge and skills learnt at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.