We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to positive use as an energy source and in certain areas of medicine. To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the benefits and risks associated with its use?
Sample Response
Since the inception of humanity, energy has been essentialenergy has been like oxygen to mankind. As the saying goes, 'necessityAs said in the famous saying necessity is the mother of all inventions, man has created many new forms of energy to cater to his needs. To generate the a continuous supply of energycontinuous supply of energy we have been using non-renewable resources. Nuclear energy has emerged as a clear alternative to the fossil fuelsconventional non-renewable resources which are depleting at an accelerating rate. But, with its substantial benefitshugely rewarding merits, it has proven itself as a dangerous alternative which can be fatal if placed in the wrong handsin wrong hands.
Radiation exposureThe nuclear emission can be fatal to the Deleteliving organisms and thus the production and use of nuclear technologyproduction and consumption have to be done with a lot of caution. For instance, the USA used nuclear weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and NagasakiJapan, Hiroshima Nagasaki. We can never forget the horrendous mass destruction it caused and the long-term effects that persist todayafter effects present till date. Since then, the world's superpowersworld super powers have reached many agreements to not repeat such usage of nuclear technology which can threaten life on Earththe life on earth. Furthermore, the tsunamiTsunami in Japan brought Japan and its neighbours at a high risk due to emissions from the damaged nuclear power plantimpacted Nuclear Energy plant.
While the dangers of nuclear technology are well known and measured, the advantages it provides are huge too. The amountAmount of energy it can generate can make a country self-sufficient for its energy needs. Countries like Japan have realised this and are now generating the nuclear energy on large scale. Japan has ensured that all the safety precautions are addressed to mitigate the risksmarginalise the dangers.
Since every scientific invention has proved to have two facets, Nuclear energy can prove to be an answer to the energy problem of the world, provided it is used wisely. All the countries, small or big, must come together and work towards using the Nuclear Technology as a tool of development.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The essay maintains a balanced view, explains major weapons and accident risks, and identifies nuclear power's capacity to provide large-scale energy. It does not address medical benefits and offers limited analysis of the extent of danger, while recurring collocation, capitalization, and article errors reduce precision; prioritise complete coverage of all prompt elements and more exact technical language.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Risks and energy benefits are relevant and supported, but medical applications are omitted and the degree of danger is not explicitly assessed.
State the conditions under which nuclear technology poses an existential, regional or manageable risk, and add a medical benefit.
Coherence and Cohesion
The four-paragraph structure progresses logically from position to risks, benefits and conclusion.
Use clearer internal topic sentences and avoid spending too much of the introduction on general energy history.
Lexical Resource
There is adequate topic vocabulary, but several technical collocations and word forms are inaccurate.
Use precise phrases such as 'radiation exposure', 'nuclear power plant', 'mitigate risks' and 'in the wrong hands'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Complex sentences are generally understandable, though articles, capitalization and punctuation errors recur.
Check proper nouns, common nouns and article use, and punctuate introductory phrases and quotations carefully.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to positive use as an energy source and in certain areas of medicine. To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the benefits and risks associated with its use?
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.