Some people like to try new things, for example, places to visit and types of food. Other people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with. Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
We can broadly categorise people into two main segments: the first segment of people are comfortable with living in the same place, eating the same types of food, having a career that involves pretty much doing the same thing and taking almost no risks, while others are completely the opposite who find the meaning of life through risks and challenges and are not afraid of trying new things. This essay will explore both perspectives. Personally, I like to take risks, face challenges and enjoy the diversity of the world through travelling and favour the second group of people.
People who avoid challenges or scarcely try new things are comfortable with the lifestyle they already have. They do not want to make life complicated by taking on new challenges that might bring misery or dissatisfaction to their life. Such people are often contended with whatever they have and wish to stay in their comfort zone. Since they are afraid of failure, their success is also limited. We can see many people around us who fall in this category, who, despite seeing potential in a new career, never dare to change their existing job or even detest the idea of trying new food.
On the other hand, there are people who believe that change is constant and that taking on challenges is something that makes life thrilling and enjoyable. They embrace new ideas, travel to difficult places, try new food, experience diversity of life and culture, and get easily bored doing the same thing for a long. These people take risks that bring success. But such success is not always guaranteed as failure can also befall them. I also know such people, and I consider myself one of them. They are often the trailblazer and inventors, builders and creators of new things and ideas. For instance, despite having a good job in a multinational company, one of my cousins started a boutique business. No one initially supported his move, but now he is so successful that many others cite him as an example of success.
In conclusion, being in the comfort zone, doing familiar things and taking minimal risks may guarantee comfort and stability in life but real success and great inventions and ideas come from taking risks and embracing challenges. I am always in favour of the second type of attitude that makes life worth living.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Restore parallel clause structure Original: through travelling and favour Suggested revision: through travelling, and I favour Why it matters: The second coordinated idea needs its own subject to remain parallel with I like.
- 2. Use the natural frequency adverb Original: scarcely Suggested revision: rarely Why it matters: Rarely is the natural adverb for an action that happens infrequently.
- 3. Fix preposition and number Original: dissatisfaction to their life Suggested revision: dissatisfaction in their lives Why it matters: In is the correct preposition, and the plural pronoun requires lives.
- 4. Use the intended adjective Original: contended Suggested revision: content Why it matters: Content means satisfied, whereas contended means competed or argued.
- 5. Use a natural collocation Original: travel to difficult places Suggested revision: travel to challenging destinations Why it matters: Challenging destinations more naturally describes places that are difficult to visit.
- 6. Add the correct preposition Original: of Suggested revision: in Why it matters: Diversity in is the natural structure for describing variety within these areas.
- 7. Fix adjective complementation Original: get easily bored doing Suggested revision: become easily bored with doing Why it matters: Bored takes the preposition with before a repeated activity.
- 8. Complete the time phrase Original: for a long Suggested revision: for a long time Why it matters: The duration expression requires the noun time.
- 9. Avoid an absolute result Original: take risks that bring success Suggested revision: take risks that may bring success Why it matters: May accurately presents success as a possible rather than guaranteed result.
- 10. Use a formal contrast Original: But such success Suggested revision: However, such success Why it matters: However creates a more formal transition to the limitation.
- 11. Use a direct clause Original: as failure can also befall them Suggested revision: because they may also fail Why it matters: The direct subject-verb clause expresses the same possibility more naturally.
- 12. Make the nouns plural Original: the trailblazer and inventors Suggested revision: trailblazers and inventors Why it matters: The plural subject they requires both role nouns to be plural.
Suggested Rewrites
- through travelling and favour through travelling, and I favour
- scarcely rarely
- dissatisfaction to their life dissatisfaction in their lives
- contended content
- travel to difficult places travel to challenging destinations
- of in
Why this response received Band 7.5
The response clearly discusses both attitudes, sustains a personal preference for novelty, and supports that view with a specific and well-integrated example. Its main limitation is that people who prefer familiarity are characterised somewhat simplistically as fearful and less successful, while occasional inaccurate word choices and structures reduce polish. The priority is to present a more balanced explanation of stability and then compare it explicitly with the rewards and risks of experimentation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both attitudes are fully discussed and the writer's preference is clear throughout, with relevant reasoning and a concrete example, though the familiar-routine perspective is somewhat stereotyped.
Develop a fairer account of why familiarity can be rational, such as security or expertise, before explaining why novelty still offers greater value overall.
Coherence and Cohesion
The essay has clear progression from the two-group framing through separate discussions to a comparative conclusion, with effective paragraphing and cohesive links.
Tighten the lengthy opening sentence and make the final comparison echo the strongest reason from each body paragraph for an even sharper progression.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is wide and generally precise across risk, comfort, and achievement, with occasional slips such as "contended," singular "trailblazer," and "doing the same thing for a long."
Correct the few inaccurate or unnatural choices, using "content," "trailblazers," and "for a long time," while preserving the effective topic-specific range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A broad variety of complex structures is used with good control, although some long sentences, agreement errors, and relative-clause constructions are imperfect.
Edit the longest sentences for clean parallel structure and agreement, particularly the opening comparison and the sentence describing trailblazers and inventors.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people like to try new things, for example, places to visit and types of food. Other people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with. Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.