When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion. IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Question
Bhargavee Sisodia08 Oct 2024
The IELTS, an established language proficiency test, is required for admission to some universities and when applying for jobs abroad. The academic and general IELTS writing tests have two parts: task 1 and task 2. Writing Task 2 is significant because it allows you to consider your ideas, points of view, originality, and ability to think critically and logically. Both variants of Task 2 are similar with identical patterns, with a total time limit of 40 minutes and a word limit of 250.
There are six different types of essays, but you will only be given one, and to write your answer, you have to first understand the type of essay, as the structure of the essay depends on the type. This will directly impact the task achievement component of the scoring criteria. So, let's start with an outline of the numerous kinds of essays.
- Discussion: You are going to be given an assertion or argument and must present all sides of it. You may be asked to share your ideas on a certain stance with which you agree or disagree. Please keep in mind that you should only offer your opinion if directly requested.
- Two Questions or Direct Questions: The goal of this essay is to develop a simple structure that includes appropriate instances. The question will include one or more questions for which you must supply direct answers.
- Opinion-based: Here, you must share your thoughts or points of debate on a certain issue, whether you agree or disagree. If you agree with the argument, simply describe your point of view rather than the conflict or vice-versa.
- Problem-Solution or Cause-and-Effect: This type of essay needs you to identify the root cause of the problem given in the question and suggest relevant solutions.
- Balanced opinion: In these essays, you must discuss an argument and show that you agree with some of one side of it while partially disagreeing with others. You have to choose one viewpoint with which you agree more than the other while remaining slightly in agreement with the other.
- Advantages and disadvantages: When writing an essay in this format, you must address both the advantages and disadvantages of a specific issue. This type of essay might additionally require you to voice your opinions. If so, you must offer your opinion; if it is not needed, you must disregard it and refrain from providing one.
Criteria of IELTS Scoring System: Writing Task 2
The band score for writing task 2 will be determined using four criteria specified in the grading system. Let us explain the criteria for you to understand how to write the essays.
- Task Achievement: It's also an effective strategy to stay on topic by beginning the introduction with a brief summary of the question. Avoid using fewer words than the suggested limit of 250. Don't create an opinionated essay if the prompt doesn't allow the writer to express their thoughts.
- Cohesion and coherence: Cohesion is the degree to which duplication or unrelated content is avoided, whereas coherence is the degree to which ideas are defined and easily stated. Avoid using the same word repeatedly. In addition, you must compose at least four paragraphs that are related.
- Lexical Resource: Spell words appropriately based on their context, and avoid using large, difficult terms. It is vital to distinguish between simple lexis and basic word choice. Because basic lexis can sometimes be mixed with sophisticated grammar, selecting simple words should be the top focus. As a result, you can make it intriguing, but avoid employing vocabulary that is overly sophisticated for the context.
- Grammatical Accuracy and Range: When writing with proper punctuation, pay attention to how your sentences are structured and the tenses you use.
Using the Passive Voice for Giving Opinion in Writing Task 2
There is a common question, whether the passive voice in the IELTS essays can help to get a higher band score, especially when it concerns the opinion in an essay. Some students suppose that such constructions as passive can increase their score, which is incorrect.
What can be deduced from the above work is that the use of passive voice does not lead to a higher score. Not the work of a single tense or grammar feature is particularly highlighted by the IELTS examination while various grammatical features are important. The emphasis lies in the use of a wide pool of correct forms. As much as possible, passive voice should not be used and should only be used in certain circumstances.
It may also be noted that the use of the passive voice is not appropriate in expressing one's opinions on the topic in IELTS Writing Task 2. Expressing one's feelings, opinions, or beliefs should not be confused with phrases that simply report other people's beliefs, such as 'it is thought' or 'it is believed'. For instance, one uses "It is thought by some that…" in order to introduce other people's thoughts and not one's own.
The passive voice is preferable in the case when you are going to refer to the opinion of other people, or in the case of the Discussion Essays or if you give some background details. For example, suppose the essay topic is about controversial opinions. In that case, one can write: 'Some believe that internet penetration has impacted our lives while some believe that it has improved the quality of life. 'This way, the opinions belong to some other people.
But when the task is set to respond with an opinion, the opinion must be given squarely and distinctly in the active voice. Such words as probably, likely, "in my view," and the like are important. If you employ the passive construction, 'it is believed' in this context, you will be penalized as it doesn't reveal the writer's point of view and is an improper way to do so in English.
To summarize, in reference to others' opinions, use passive voice in IELTS essays; to provide your own opinion and to receive a higher score for that, use active voice.
IELTS writing task 2 topics:
When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion.
An opinion-based essay usually contains specific prompts such as "Do you think?" "Give your opinion", "do you agree," and "to what extent do you agree?" and this tells you that your opinion is expected. The second is the word 'or'; for instance, when the question is to agree or disagree with something, such as, 'Do you think this 'or' that?'; 'To what extent do you agree 'or' disagree?' From such expressions, the word 'or' is a clear indication that the option is either to agree or to disagree but not both. This is also one of the most effective means of differentiation between opinion-based essays and other types that may require a more general view. However, in some cases, “to what extent do you agree” can also signify a balanced opinion essay, but in that scenario there will be 2 statements in the question. In this question, there is one argument, which is why you can be sure that this is an opinion essay.
Structure of Opinion Essay
- Introduction: Rephrase the question. Indicate which side you agree with.
- Body 1: Provide an example to support your claim.
- Body 2: Provide additional examples to back your point.
- Body Paragraph 3 (optional): Feel free to present the other viewpoint and explain why you disagree.
- Conclusion: Rephrase the question again and express your ideas.
IELTS writing task 2 topics with answers:
Band 6
When a country's technology advances, traditional skills and modes of life becomes obsolete. It's pointless to try to keep them alive. I do not agree with this view, and in my opinion, the advancement of technology cannot causes traditions to die out.
Advancements in technology in a country do not mean that the traditional value system will be lost. For example, in a country like India, different people in different parts here celebrate their rituals and cultures in their own way with festivals like Pongal, Durga Puja, Navaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Karwa Chauth, to name a few, despite India being in the forefront of technological advancements, be it any sector starting from telecom, digitalization, space, or medicine. Also, if we consider skills like pen-paper mode of reading and writing, not every student feels comfortable learning digitaly and prefer old-school methods.
Traditional skills and ways of life do not fades away when a country's technology advances. For instance, there are sections of people in most countries who proudly holds onto their traditional lifestyle, like the tribal people and they have not yet accepted technology as a part of their daily lifestyle and happily carry forward their tradition in every bit and piece of their existence.
When a country advances its technology, traditional abilities, cultures, and methods of life are fadet. Trying to keep them alive is fruitles. I do not agree with this viewpoint as I believes in every section of life, people try to keep their old habits, skills, traditions, and rituals alive despite welcoming technology with open arms.
Clarification on the band:
The grammatical errors in the Grammatical Range and Accuracy part of the evaluation have been underlined and are in italics. The spelling errors in the Lexical Resources portion of the evaluation are in italics. The lengthy sentences are in bold which is categorized as coherence and cohesive in the evaluation.
Band 7
It is perceived by many that when a country develops technologically, the conventional skills, traditions and modes of life are bound to die out, and hence the attempts to conserve them are in vain. But I quite despise this school of thought and believes that technologies are not the opposite of traditions or mark their further deveation.
Technological development within a given country do not necessarily imply the decimation of said country’s traditions and customs. For instance, India has transformed into a knowledge-based economy, a world leader in sectors like telecomunications, digitalization, space exploration, and medicine. But the country is still glowing with festival lights, enjoy traditional harvest festivals like Pongal, Durga Puja, Navaratri, and Ganesh Chaturthi, or arranged celebrations like Karwa Chauth. On the other hand, simple and basic forms of learning and teaching, including writing and reading from a writing meterial like a writing board and pen and paper, is still very important. Several learners prefers this method of learning as compared to their computerized counterparts.
In many countries, especially those which colonizers saw as ‘less developed’, some of the groups, like the indigenous people, remain proud of their cultures and traditions. These groups are usually reluctant to adopt any kind of technology into their activities; instead, they preffer to stay culturally true to their beliefs, thus keeping the tradition alive.
To conclude, the concept that technology minimize the need for conventional skills and ways of living in the population is something I do not agree with. Members of society in different status levels do their best to presarve culture, techniques and practices while at the same time adopting new technologies and thus, one can live and function successfully not only at the meeting point of tradition and modernity.
Clarification on the band:
The grammatical errors in the Grammatical Range and Accuracy part of the evaluation have been underlined and are in italics. The spelling errors in the Lexical Resources portion of the evaluation are in italics.
Band 9
It is often posited that a nation's advances in technology, its traditional skills, its traditional patterns of behavior, and ways of life are to disappear of their own accord and, therefore, there can be no question of their preservation. But I strongly disagree with this notion stating that advancement in technology does not mean the death of traditions or the need to be different.
Technical advancement does not necessarily denote the obliteration of this or that country's culture. India serves as a quintessential example, which has virtually metamorphosed itself from an agrarian economy to a knowledge economy and is fast emerging as a powerhouse in fields like telecommunication, digitalization, space research, and medicine, among others. However, in this tide of this hi-tech era, the cultural regeneration could be visibly seen in the colorful festivity of Pongal, Durga Puja, Navaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Karwa Chauth, etc. Such time-honored traditions continue to thrive, coexisting harmoniously with cutting-edge advancements. Also, classical means of delivering material, using chalk and blackboards, pencil and paper, are not rendered obsolete, and many students prefer them to the high-techs, which provides less opportunity to learn deeply.
Across nations, native people remain the bastions of cultural preservation. These groups, who are quite often essentially excluded from society proper, offer an incredibly rigid line of defence to prevent the ever-encroaching tide of Technological Progress from intruding on their lives. They deliberately do not deviate from following their traditional norms and values, by which they preserve their culture's continuity and existence in the epoch of neoteny.
In conclusion, it is my strong contention to say that it is absolutely wrong to conclude that there is an inevitable technological imperative towards the devaluation of traditional skills and practices. People in any society fight tirelessly to maintain their respective cultural, technical and ritualistic identities as they allow themselves to enjoy the fruits of novelty.
Clarification on the band: There are no mistakes. The flow of the essay is better and the vocabulary used is of high lever.
Conclusion
D-VIVID offers experienced teaching and instructional resources to help you prepare for the IELTS writing exam, including the best examples of IELTS writing task 2 topics. Our goal is to offer you all of the help you need to achieve your goals and earn a high IELTS writing band score. We provide personalized IELTS exam preparation programs that include a variety of IELTS essay topics. We understand that your demands will differ from those of other students. Thus, we will cater to your preferences for learning. Use the IELTS writing task 2 topics with answers to understand how to format different types of topics. Individual coaching is one example of how we value personalized mentorship and needs-based solutions for each student. As a result, our highly educated consultants can help you improve your IELTS writing band score. If you want to have a wonderful IELTS preparation experience with the best materials, contact us right away. We want you to know that we are here to assist you in getting your IELTS writing band score.
) :
