People say that reading for pleasure helps people to develop imagination and better language skills than watch TV. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Response
Many people today contend that reading would be more effective than watching TV for developingbetter than watching TV in developing one’s imagination and language skills. I personally do not believe that any one format is inherently better at improving these capabilitiesthese creative capabilities, for it ultimately depends on the type of content and the mental age of the viewer who consumes itthe viewer that consumes the media.
I argue that TV, through its ability to presentillustrate realistic or colourful depictions of life inthrough an entertaining manner, can be beneficial for children byin improving their mental capabilities. Young childrenThose who are of early age might not be able to read, and as such, might pick up their vocabularyspoken vocabulary from TV instead. Children’s shows on channels such as Nickelodeon are highlyhugely popular for this reason, as parents allow their kids to tune in not only to be entertained but also to improveto not only be entertained but to improve their skills at the same time.
Nonetheless, it is true that some forms of creative and linguistic expression are conveyed better in writingwritings than on TV. These includeThese are things such as character backgrounds or subtle details that can be explored in depthobsessively explored in books. It would be more difficult for audio-visual mediamediums such as films to convey the same features within a similar running timein similar lengths. This is why many people complainmany people often complain that movie adaptations often do not live up to the standardstandards of the book, for the latter is able to delve into the fine details of the storylinenitty-gritty of the storyline better than a movie more often than not. Books could therefore be better for imagination and development past a certain age.
Overall, I argue that both mediums have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages, and it is dependent upon the maker of either books or TV shows to develop intellectually engaging material.
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response offers a clear, nuanced position and develops a logical age-based comparison between television and reading, supported by relevant examples. Its main limitation is that some discussion drifts from the precise comparison of pleasure reading with television, while several claims about imagination and language remain broad. Strengthen the argument by directly linking each example to both target skills and by sharpening the final conclusion around the stated comparison.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response presents a clear qualified position and develops relevant arguments for both media, though links to both target skills are sometimes general.
Connect every example explicitly to imagination and language development, and keep the conclusion focused on the exact comparative claim.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas are sequenced logically in well-controlled paragraphs, with cohesive devices and referencing generally supporting a smooth progression.
Tighten the longer discussion of books by removing repetition and making each supporting sentence advance a distinct part of the comparison.
Lexical Resource
A broad and precise vocabulary supports sophisticated discussion, with only occasional awkward collocations or informal choices.
Refine collocations such as through an entertaining manner and in writings, and replace conversational wording where a more exact academic term is available.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Varied complex structures are used with strong control, while a few awkward constructions and parallelism errors remain.
Polish parallel structures and noun phrases, particularly constructions joining not only with but also and phrases describing age groups.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
People say that reading for pleasure helps people to develop imagination and better language skills than watch TV. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.