Writing Feedback / IELTS WRITING TASK 2: Framed pictures and photo sharing websites [2]

Due to the popularity of photo sharing websites, it's no longer necessary to have framed pictures or printed photo albums.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

In this day and age, with the craze for photo sharing websites, printed photo albums or framed pictures have taken a back seat and are deemed as obsolete. From my perspective, though these tangible memories are nowhere near as convenient or popular as their counterparts, classic photo albums still play an indispensable role and have irrefutable meanings in our lives.

To commence with, photo albums stir up a sense of nostalgia and act as meaningful presents. Just imagine you are parents of an inquisitive four-year-old child, an album is probably the best thing you can show them. A long-lasting album is not a mere object but a key witness to our changes in lives from newborn's first moments to family reunion or university graduation. Were you to feel lonely or desperate in life, a printed album would pave the way for a chance to reminisce about the good old days. Moreover, not only does it generate the feeling of nostalgia, it is also a thoughtful gift that will stand the test of time and together celebrate memorable moments. How great would it be if there were a soulmate accompanying us in our lives.

Lastly, printed photo albums outdo the social sharing sites in terms of credibility and longevity. It is common for the conventional community to regard photo sharing websites as forever. While there is some truth to this claim, we also need to prepare for the worst scenario and consider the likelihood of these websites' changing their retention settings or being hacked. Technology is evolving day by day but the photo album will be there forever, it will not disappear out of nowhere unless you destroy or do not take good care of it.

In short, the classic printed photo album has promising benefits such as longevity, credibility and a past witness. Therefore, it is nonsensical to underestimate its value and stop using it due to the popularity of photo sharing websites.

Writing Feedback / Constructive criticism from teachers helps students learn, as well as develop positive self-esteem [3]

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

Constructive feedback from teachers, including deserved praise and specific suggestions, helps students learn, as well as develop positive self-esteem; to suggest the contrary can produce harmful effects.

Discuss the statement and give your opinion.

Our education system has undergone a whole host of major changes with a view to improving it day by day. It is widely believed that constructive feedback assists students in their learning and generating self-worth, which means that criticism could have negative impacts. From my perspective, I would agree with the aforementioned point of view, as I believe constructive feedback does more good than harm to students and generates high self-esteem with its suggestions and praise.

First of all, specific suggestions help students realize their shortcomings or mistakes, thereby assisting students to rectify the situation and make piecemeal changes in their way of learning. If a student had a go at correcting their own mistakes, there would be room for improvement in their education. Furthermore, deserved praise from teachers could give students faith in themselves as well as a strong belief in their good work. Consequently, students are likely to keep up with the good work and be spurred on to do better in the future. Still, teachers should remember to use positive comments moderately so as not to allow room for complacency.

Secondly, as opposed to constructive feedback, criticism can pose a serious threat and have negative impacts on students. Research has proved that students tend to learn better when provided with constructive feedback rather than with criticism from their teachers. Since after receiving negative feedback, students would feel a sense of discouragement and not feel like trying hard anymore, which then could lead to poor performance and lower grades in school. While it is unarguable that criticism at times can harden a person and drive them to grow up, not all students can actually put up with being scolded or receiving something rather negative and can easily break into tears and give up.

In conclusion, constructive feedback is beneficial to students as long as teachers use it moderately and also criticism should be avoided to minimize any possible harmful effects. In my opinion, teachers all over the world should make use of more constructive feedback in their teaching and give careful thought before providing students with negative feedback.

Writing Feedback / What problems do people older than sixty five usually face? [4]

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 (LIFE EXPECTANCY)

In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing and there are a large number of people above the age of 65. What problems do these people usually face?

Suggest some ways that the government can help people to better prepare for their old age

It has become apparent in recent years that ageing population is becoming a serious issue. In this essay, the problems these elderly people are facing will be considered and some practical solutions will be outlined.

To begin with, it is conceivable that elderly people do not have as steady a budget as middle-aged ones. If the elderly do not have children or their children cannot afford their expenses, the elderly at that time have no choice but to count on the pension benefits provided by the government as soon as they retire. In some developed countries, the old people still manage to live on their retirement benefits, whereas in developing countries, this could be a serious problem. For the reason that developing countries have to take care of different aspects within their limited budget, these countries probably cannot guarantee that every senior citizen receives sufficient pensions. As a consequence, the elderly's living standards are in decline and they may not be able to fend for themselves. One possible approach to alleviating this problem is that the government should encourage the young and middle-aged people to take a small amount from their every-month salaries and save it in the bank. Upon doing this, in the future, as they get older, they are bound to have enough money to live on their own.

Moreover, as people age, they are more susceptible to age-related health issues. It is noticeable that people over the age of 65 are more prone to diseases such as cancer and diabetes mellitus. If the elderly do not take immediate action, these diseases will get worse and cause death. Since the elderly do not have enough money, they would rather stay at home than go to the hospital and medical clinic for treatment because healthcare could cost a fortune. One measure that could be taken to address this problem is to spur people to exercise from a young age and have a healthy diet. In a 2018 study, an international group of researchers led by scientists found that having a healthy diet and exercising at a moderate level could extend life expectancy by 14 years for women and by 12 years for men.

To summarize, as people age, if they do not take good precautions, they will encounter loads of problems. To prevent these problems from happening, we should start taking actions by gradually saving money from our earnings, having a healthy balanced diet and taking exercises.