Some think newspapers are the best method for reading the news while others think other media is better. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
In recent years, many have argued that the best way to read the news is no longer in newspapers. In my opinion, though there are sentimental reasons to prefer newspapers, newer forms of media are far superior.
Those who continue to value newspapers tend to be older individuals. They have typically maintained this habit for years or even decades. After reading newspapers for such a long periodOver such a long period reading newspapers, it is logical that they will have developed an emotional attachment to the act of buying and reading a physical copy of the news. For example, The New York Times continues to publish and sell physical copies of itstheir paper in select markets. People who buy these papersThe people buying these papers could save time and money by reading the same articles online, but might be attracted to the tactile experience and memories associated withfeel and memories surrounding physical newspapers.
However, new forms of media offerallow audiences a wide range of choices that enhance the overall experience. A user accessing a media website can not only read an article from the convenience of their phone or laptop, but also take advantage of features like text-to-speech audioautomatically generated text-to-speech, videos, links to related content, the ability to share an articleDelete, and more. These features are complementedAll these features are also complemented by the ability to choose from a diverse range of news sourcesselect a diversity of news sources. Instead of reading a single news outlet that might have a liberal or conservative bias, a discerning reader can seek out multiple viewpoints and find the news that is most trustworthy over time.
In conclusion, despite the respect due to the history of journalism, there isare now a wide array of better options online. Individuals should nonetheless be wary of less trustworthy sources.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear opinion, considers both perspectives, and develops its comparison through specific, well-integrated examples in a concise structure. The main limitation is that the case for newspapers rests almost entirely on nostalgia, making that side somewhat narrower than the discussion of digital media. Strengthen the balance by adding one practical advantage of print and weighing it directly against an online alternative.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are directly discussed, the opinion is explicit throughout, and the supporting ideas are relevant and well developed.
Broaden the newspaper argument beyond emotional attachment and compare its strongest practical benefit with digital media.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is logically sequenced, clearly paragraphed, and smoothly connected without distracting overuse of cohesive devices.
Make the final comparison slightly more explicit so the conclusion more fully synthesizes the two body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is varied, precise, and natural, with effective language for discussing habits, media features, and source reliability.
Replace broad phrases such as and more with one precise final example to maintain lexical specificity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentence forms are used flexibly and accurately, with only rare agreement or reference slips.
Check agreement in constructions such as there is a wide array and keep pronoun reference consistent for singular organizations.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some think newspapers are the best method for reading the news while others think other media is better. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.