Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic: People who have original ideas are of much greater value to society than those who are simply able to copy the ideas of others well. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Sample Response
I certainly agree that people who developcome up with new ideas—in other words,ideas; in other words those who 'invent' or 'discover' things are extremelyterribly important to society Deleteas a whole. However, I also think there is a role in society for good imitators. No one would deny that key individuals should be creditedmust be thanked for providing us with certain productsfacilities that we use every day. WhereWhere, would we be, for example, without essentialbasic items such as the washing machine, the television and, more recently, the computer? These items are now used so regularly that we tend to take them for granted. In fact, today’s societythe society we live in today has become increasingly consumer-oriented, and while it may be possible to continuallyconstantly update and improve consumer goods, not everyone in my areanot everyone where I live can afford these innovationsafford the prices of these innovations. Furthermore,Furthermore not everyone lives in an area that has accessaccessibility to the latest models on the market. For this reason, there is value in providingthere is a value to be placed on being able to provide high-quality copiesgood copies of expensive items. Having said that, certain innovations have a more serious impact on our lives than consumer goods and cannot easily be replicated. Vital medicines like penicillin and vaccines against dangerous diseases also exist because people made continual efforts to develop them. Scientific ideas such as these enable us to live longer and avoidescape illness.
Why this response received Band 7.0
The response uses varied language and moves logically from the value of invention to the practical role of imitation, with relevant examples from consumer goods and medicine. However, it is under length, presented as one paragraph, and ends without a conclusion that clearly defines the extent of agreement. The highest-priority improvement is to develop the comparison further and finish with an explicit, well-supported judgment on the statement.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The response addresses both original ideas and imitation with relevant examples, but its qualified position is not fully developed or concluded.
Reach the required length by explaining the relative social value of both groups and ending with a direct extent-of-agreement judgment.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas follow a generally logical sequence and linking is clear, but the single-paragraph structure weakens the organisation of the argument.
Separate the discussion into focused paragraphs for innovation, imitation, and the final judgment.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied and appropriately academic, with occasional awkward choices such as “has accessibility” and “afford the prices.”
Use more natural collocations, such as “has access” and “can afford these innovations,” while retaining the existing range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
The response uses varied complex structures effectively, though several punctuation errors and awkward constructions reduce accuracy.
Correct intrusive punctuation and use commas consistently after introductory linking phrases.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic: People who have original ideas are of much greater value to society than those who are simply able to copy the ideas of others well. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.