Some people think that the best way to get the news is through newspapers while others think it is through online media. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
It is argued by many that newspapers are the best means to receive news, while others feel that other media sources are better platforms to get the news. Although print media can offer in-depth news, I contend that digital news outlets are the better source to receive news about current affairs as they provide real-time news updates.
Some claim that traditional print media is the best source of learning news, offering in-depth reporting on different topics and events. They argue that it allows journalists to research extensively and delve into complex issues, thus providing readers with detailed context. Put simply, newspapers dedicate adequate space for feature stories, in-depth articles, and op-ed page articles so that readers can deepen their understanding of complicated issues. Print newspapers, for example, often practice investigative journalism so as to probe into corruption scandals that exert tremendous influence on policy reviews. Despite this, I would argue that digital mediums are better platforms for news consumption.
Others argue that other media sources are better options due to the fact that they offer audiences real-time updates. Digital news platforms, for example, online news portals, social media and news apps utilize content aggregators to obtain information from different sources in real-time. In addition to this, the media provide viewers with live streaming or live reporting, in which journalists continually offer the latest updates with new insights as it unfolds. For instance, platforms like Facebook Live are used to broadcast real-time footage of breaking news events. For these reasons, I think that other forms of news platforms prove to be better options to obtain news.
To reiterate, although many prefer print newspapers because of their extensive reporting, this essay finds that digital news mediums are better at learning news because of their ability to provide live coverage of breaking news events.
IELTS Writing Correction
- 1. Improve news collocation Original: means to receive news Suggested revision: means of accessing news Why it matters: The revised phrase uses a more natural collocation for obtaining information.
- 2. Use precise phrasing Original: better platforms to get the news Suggested revision: better ways to access news Why it matters: This wording is more concise and idiomatic while preserving the comparison.
- 3. Refine source phrase Original: source to receive news about current affairs Suggested revision: source of current-affairs news Why it matters: A source is more naturally described with an of-phrase than with receive.
- 4. Correct verb collocation Original: source of learning news Suggested revision: source of news Why it matters: People learn about events, whereas learning news is not idiomatic in this context.
- 5. Remove lexical redundancy Original: op-ed page articles Suggested revision: opinion pieces Why it matters: Opinion pieces conveys the intended category without the repetitive use of articles.
- 6. Correct journalism collocation Original: practice Suggested revision: conduct Why it matters: Conduct is the natural verb for describing this journalistic activity.
- 7. Clarify the outcome Original: exert tremendous influence on policy reviews Suggested revision: lead to significant policy reviews Why it matters: This revision states the claimed consequence more directly and naturally.
- 8. Make wording concise Original: due to the fact that Suggested revision: because Why it matters: Because expresses the same causal relationship more concisely.
- 9. Remove unnecessary hyphen Original: in real-time Suggested revision: in real time Why it matters: Real time is not hyphenated when it functions as a noun phrase after in.
- 10. Avoid mixed categories Original: platforms Suggested revision: media Why it matters: News media fits naturally after forms of and avoids treating platforms as forms.
- 11. Correct learning collocation Original: better at learning news Suggested revision: better for accessing news Why it matters: Accessing news accurately expresses how readers obtain information from digital media.
- 12. Sentence rewrite Original: In addition to this, the media provide viewers with live streaming or live reporting, in which journalists continually offer the latest updates with new insights as it unfolds. Suggested revision: In addition, these media provide live streaming or reporting, with journalists continually offering the latest updates and insights as events unfold. Why it matters: The rewrite fixes the unclear relative clause and the singular pronoun that does not agree with updates or events.
Suggested Rewrites
- means to receive news means of accessing news
- better platforms to get the news better ways to access news
- source to receive news about current affairs source of current-affairs news
- source of learning news source of news
- op-ed page articles opinion pieces
- practice conduct
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response addresses both views directly, maintains a clear preference for digital news, and develops each side with relevant explanation and examples. Its main limitation is repeated wording and several unnatural collocations that reduce lexical precision despite otherwise strong control. Prioritise more idiomatic expressions for receiving and consuming news while trimming repeated restatements of the position.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are fully addressed, and the preference for digital media is clear and well supported throughout.
Deepen the comparison by explaining more explicitly why immediacy outweighs the depth offered by newspapers.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress logically through focused paragraphs, with clear internal sequencing and effective referencing.
Remove repeated statements of the preference for digital media so that the argument advances more economically.
Lexical Resource
A broad topic-specific vocabulary is used effectively, though several collocations sound unnatural or imprecise.
Replace phrases such as learning news and digital mediums with more idiomatic language about accessing or consuming news.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is handled accurately, with only occasional non-impeding lapses in agreement or reference.
Check pronoun reference and agreement in longer sentences, particularly when clauses contain several possible antecedents.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that the best way to get the news is through newspapers while others think it is through online media. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.