Many universities charge higher fees for foreign students. Why do they do this? Do you believe that it is fair?
Sample Response
Universities are the best place students always choose after their tertiary schooling. Most of the students prefer to study in a good university. In my point of view, universities take a large amount of money from foreign students because they have to keep their standard and I think it is fair to take more money from the foreign students.
Firstly, universities carry out a particular standard and reputation. When students choose a selected university to study, it increases their productivity as well as overall development. The university charges huge fees for outside students so that they can have qualified and experienced lecturers to teach and mould them. There will be many facilities for the students to access like libraries, laboratories, multi-purpose halls and so on. Universities offer accommodation and food to the students. Students can achieve their dream by studying in a reputed university with an excellent professional background.
Secondly, it is fair to take high fees from the foreign students because if they are getting the quality education and facilities it is worth to get the money from them. They have many options in subjects and it satisfies them by choosing the best university to study. On the other hand, universities do not take much payment from the citizens, they always try to care and protect their citizens by giving good quality education. Moreover, many universities prefer more opportunities for the students to grow as an individual and to get a good job in the future by giving the very good education. Many universities have a different policy for foreign students and they usually take a higher fee from them. The citizens of a country already pay a large amount of tax to the government and thus government ensures the education for their children and grandchildren. So it is totally justified that local students should pay less.
To sum up, universities can charge huge fees from the students and the university should make sure that they are giving the best education to the students according to their wish.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Remove unnecessary article Original: Most of the students Suggested revision: Most students Why it matters: The general plural noun does not need the definite article here.
- 2. Correct viewpoint phrase Original: In Suggested revision: From Why it matters: The standard expression begins with “From,” not “In.”
- 3. Use precise fee verb Original: take a large amount of money Suggested revision: charge high fees Why it matters: “Charge high fees” is the natural expression for university pricing.
- 4. Use plural standards Original: keep their standard Suggested revision: maintain their standards Why it matters: Universities conventionally maintain multiple standards, and “maintain” is the appropriate verb.
- 5. Correct verb collocation Original: carry out a particular standard and reputation Suggested revision: maintain particular standards and a good reputation Why it matters: Standards and a reputation are maintained rather than carried out.
- 6. Clarify the reference Original: it increases their productivity Suggested revision: studying there increases their productivity Why it matters: The replacement makes clear what “it” refers to.
- 7. Use accurate term Original: outside Suggested revision: international Why it matters: “International students” is the standard term for students from other countries.
- 8. Clarify the subject Original: have Suggested revision: employ Why it matters: The revision makes universities the employers of the lecturers.
- 9. Improve sentence structure Original: There will be many facilities for the students to access like Suggested revision: Students will have access to many facilities, such as Why it matters: The replacement uses a natural access construction and introduces examples correctly.
- 10. Use suitable plural Original: dream Suggested revision: goals Why it matters: “Goals” fits the general reference to multiple students more naturally.
- 11. Choose correct adjective Original: reputed Suggested revision: reputable Why it matters: “Reputable” describes an institution with a good reputation.
- 12. Remove incorrect article Original: getting the quality education Suggested revision: receiving quality education Why it matters: “Education” is uncountable here and does not take “the.”
Suggested Rewrites
- Most of the students Most students
- In From
- take a large amount of money charge high fees
- keep their standard maintain their standards
- carry out a particular standard and reputation maintain particular standards and a good reputation
- it increases their productivity studying there increases their productivity
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response presents a clear position and offers relevant reasons, particularly the link between domestic taxation and lower fees for local students. Its main limitation is that several claims about quality and facilities remain general or only loosely explain the fee difference, while recurring awkward grammar reduces precision; the priority is to develop each reason more directly and express it through cleaner sentence structures.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions are addressed with a clear view and relevant reasons, though some supporting claims remain broad or indirect.
Explain more explicitly why the costs described justify charging foreign students more, using one concrete example for each main reason.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response follows a logical introduction-body-conclusion structure, although linking is sometimes mechanical and some long sentences blur relationships.
Use clearer topic sentences and split overloaded sentences so that each supporting point advances the argument in a distinct step.
Lexical Resource
The vocabulary is adequate for the topic and includes some effective academic terms, but inaccurate collocations and repetition reduce precision.
Replace awkward combinations with natural phrases such as maintain academic standards, provide opportunities, and charge higher tuition fees.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A mixture of simple and complex structures communicates the main ideas clearly, despite recurring article, agreement, and sentence-boundary errors.
Prioritise accurate articles, subject-verb agreement, and full stops between independent clauses when editing each paragraph.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Many universities charge higher fees for foreign students. Why do they do this? Do you believe that it is fair?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.