As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?
Sample Response
Human life is divided into three phases. Out of which an adult phase is the most energetic and enthusiastic one. In this phase, the majority of the time is spent at work so job satisfactionthe job satisfaction is very important. Although the factors related to it varyvaries from person to person. Learning is a constant process in a person's life. Though the job becomeslooks monotonous after some time, learning never stops. This could be one of the reasons that a person can never say that he knows everything related to their field of workhis work field. For example, Bill GatesMr Bill gates cannot say that he knows everything about computers. Challenging and responsible workA challenging and responsible work would increase the desire to learnincrease the desire for learning. This is certainly the most important factor in job satisfaction. For instance, Pranav Mistry said in an interview aboutmentioned in one of his interviews regarding the successful presentation of 3G, that he started the project because he felt it was an extremely challenging and socially responsible assignment. Another important factor could be setting goalssetting up the goals. A goal is the first step towards athe destination. With a focused approachThru focused attitude, even the toughest goals could be achieved. For example, I did not know Excel macrosexcel macro while I was in college. However, now I am working with Excel macros in my jobworking on that in my job. This happened becauseThis could happen just because I had a goal to learn it after college. One more important factor could be appreciation. Most employees expectMost of the employee expects a confirmation that their hard work is being noticed. For instance, an award or a certificate could boost confidenceboost the confidence and it could motivate employeesmotivate the employee to work on the next goal. I believe job satisfaction is very importantjob satisfaction should be very important for everyone because employment is a long-term commitmenta job is not a short-term mission. It is very difficult to continue uninteresting work for a longlonger period.
[ Essay by - Naaz]
Why this response received Band 5.5
The response's strongest feature is its range of relevant factors—continuous learning, challenging work, goal-setting and recognition—each supported by some explanation or example. Its central limitation is that it scarcely answers how realistic universal job satisfaction is, replacing that evaluation with a statement about its importance. Prioritise a separate, developed discussion of why satisfaction cannot be guaranteed for every worker, supported by workplace constraints and a clear conclusion.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Several contributors to job satisfaction are explained, but the response largely omits the required evaluation of whether satisfaction is realistic for all workers.
Devote a full paragraph to the second question, considering differences in pay, working conditions, autonomy or available employment before reaching a direct judgement.
Coherence and Cohesion
The factors follow a recognisable sequence and examples are signposted, but mechanical linking, fragments and the absence of paragraph breaks weaken progression.
Use separate paragraphs for the main satisfaction factors and the realism question, with each paragraph built around one controlling idea.
Lexical Resource
The response has enough vocabulary to discuss learning, challenge, goals and recognition, although word choice, spelling and collocation errors recur.
Use standard phrases such as 'field of work', 'set goals', 'a focused approach' and 'employees expect recognition', and avoid informal spelling such as 'Thru'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Both simple and complex structures are attempted, but frequent fragments, agreement errors and article problems reduce control while meaning remains generally clear.
Turn dependent fragments beginning with 'Although' or 'Out of which' into complete sentences and check subject–verb agreement in plural noun phrases.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.