Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life. Which do you consider to be the major influence?
Sample Response
Nature versus nurture debate has been around for ages and has been well supported by advocates on both sidessupported well by both sides. Nature, referring to heredity, and nurture, referringand the nurture, referring to the environment, are two very reasonable explanations ofto why we are the people we are today. It would be worthwhile to look at both sides of the issue before forming an opinion.
Nature is believed to be what determines our personalities, looks, and other things because these traits are passed down geneticallyit’s all genetically passed down. It has been concluded that a newborn doesn’t have a blank slate in terms of personalityblank slate of personality, but hasbut does have a set of inherited traits. Identical twins reared apart are far more similar in personality than randomly selected pairs of people. Likewise, identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins. Also, biological siblings are more similar in personality than adopted siblings. Each observation suggests that personality is heritable to a certain extent.
The other side of the debate says that nurture is the cause ofto our behavior and our characteristicsas well as characteristics. Even though genes are what give us our distinctive personality traitsthat certain spunk to our personality, the environment has the power to alter it and make our personalities markedly differentmake us into the exact opposite. The way childrenEven the way that certain children are brought up can change how they turn out. If the environmentIf environment didn’t play a part in determining an individual’s traits and behaviors, then identical twins should, theoretically, be exactly the same in all respects, even if reared apart. But a number of studies show that they are never exactly alike, even though they are remarkably similar in most respects.
The more we delve into the topic, the more the evidence reveals that the answer involves bothanswer is “BOTH”. Genes are the foundation of who we are, but the influence of nurturethe nurture we receive in our lives is what we finally turn out to be. Even the greatest inborn talentsbest of inborn talents can go unrecognized without proper training and educationif not given proper training and education. But it would seem that “Nurture complements Nature and that Nature’s gift of rich human potential is realized through socialization and education.
To put it in a nutshell, I conclude thatI pen down saying that although both nature and nurture play a role in human personality and development, the influence of our upbringing and life experiences has a greater influence thangets an edge over the genetic influences.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response is strongest in its detailed comparison of inherited traits and environmental influence, with a clear final preference and relevant twin-based support. Its main limitation is that the position emerges late and the discussion sometimes relies on informal or awkward phrasing, so the highest priority is to state the comparative judgement earlier and consistently connect each paragraph’s evidence to why nurture is ultimately more influential.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response explores both influences in detail and ultimately answers the question, though its preference for nurture is not clearly established until late.
State the preferred major influence in the introduction and evaluate each body paragraph explicitly against that judgement.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are logically sequenced in distinct paragraphs and supporting evidence is easy to follow, although the shift from both influences to the final preference could be sharper.
Use the synthesis paragraph to compare the relative weight of the two influences directly before presenting the conclusion.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a good range of topic vocabulary, but several informal, imprecise, or unnatural expressions weaken its academic tone.
Replace phrases such as certain spunk, pen down saying, and gets an edge with precise academic alternatives.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex structures are varied and usually accurate, while occasional article, preposition, and quotation-mark errors remain noticeable but non-impeding.
Proofread articles and prepositions in fixed patterns, and ensure every quotation is grammatically and mechanically complete.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life. Which do you consider to be the major influence?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.