Writing Feedback / [IELTS - Task 2] Examinations can give a clear picture of students' true ability [7]

TOPIC:Only formal examinations, written or practical, can give a clear picture of students' true knowledge and ability at university level. Continuous assessment like course work and projects are poor measures of student ability. In what extent do you agree or disagree?

Formal examinations and continuous assessment like course work and projects are two methods of evaluating students' ability widely used in most educational systems. Some people are of the opinion that how well a student does in an examination is a clear reflection of his or her knowledge and ability, whereas course work and projects are not effective measures of students' capacity. Personally, I strongly agree with this point of view.

To begin with, it is undeniable that students' true ability can be accurately assessed through demanding examinations. Since students are not entitled to seek help from materials and other people when taking an examination, they must depend on their own knowledge in order to receive satisfactory marks. Hence, their true ability can be shown through their performace during examinations. Moreover, it should be noted that those who obtain excellent results in examinations are very likely to be successful in their future career. Accordingly, it is certain that examinations are truly an objective form of assessment in terms of students' wisdom and capacity.

On the other hand, I firmly believe that course work and projects cannot provide a true reflection on students' general ability, as plagiarism can spring from these methods. Unlike examinations, students are given permission to utilize textbooks and the Internet for research, which gives them opportunities to copy other people's ideas or even complete essays via easily accessible websites. Consequently, a mediocre student can achieve high scores straightforwardly, but these scores do not represent his or her true capability.

In conclusion, I want to reiterate that formal examinations are a much more effective way of evaluation than course work and projects. Thus, it is crucial that organizing examinations and improving their quality should be given more priority at colleges and universities.

Writing Feedback / [IELTS - Task 2] Trees are essential for the existence of the human race [5]

TOPIC:Trees are essential for the existence of the human race as they provide the oxygen that we need to survive. Yet, daily all around the globe, large areas of woodland are being destroyed. Many people feel that they as individuals can do nothing and that only governments and large companies can halt the destruction. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?

The process of deforestation has become an alarming issue in our society. Although many people are conscious of the fact that trees play an indispensable part in the existence of human beings, more and more forests and areas of woodland are being destroyed as a consequence of exploiting natural resources indiscriminately and wood smuggling. Some people are of the opinion that it is the responsibility of governments and large companies to tackle this intricate matter. Personally, I strongly disagree with this point of view, as protecting the environment is the duty of all people living in this planet.

To begin with, it should be borne in mind that every single individual can help preserve the environment just by doing very small things. By way of illustration, they can plant some trees in their gardens, or take part in social activities aiming to raise the awareness of others about the significance of trees. In addition, boycotting products made of precious woods is also an effective way contributing to a decline in the number of trees cut down, simply because those who sell wood illegally will not be able to find sufficient demand for their supply.

On the other hand, some people are of the opinion that governments also play a certain part in ameliorating the situation. As far as they are concerned, the problem can be partly minimized by establishing policies to limit the exploitation of forests as well as implementing strict laws to punish those who deliberately destroy areas of woodland for their own ends. However, these laws and policies sometimes prove to be ineffective in reality, as deforestation and wood smuggling are still occurring in many countries. Therefore, it is crucial that both governments and citizens should join hands to resolve this ongoing issue.

In conclusion, if we don't put an end to deforestation in the future, human beings will run into an extremely serious trouble, which may destroy our lives some day. I firmly believe that every individual is responsible for the survival of the human race, not only the authorities. Therefore, all people need to take urgent action in order to save the planet.

Writing Feedback / UK economic structure had experienced considerable changes over the last century - the graph [4]

Given is the graph providing information about the contribution of three separate sectors to the economy of the United Kingdom in the twentieth century. It is evident that while the proportions of agriculture and manufacturing declined throughout the period, the percentage of business and finacial services increased steadily.

In 1900, agriculture accounted for nearly half of the UK economy. This number rose marginally to above 50% in 1950, before plummeting to almost zero by 2000. Manufacturing sector also followed a similar pattern. Constituting more than 40% of the economy in 1900, this number commenced to decrease gradually for the rest of the period, dropping to a low of only 15% in 2000.

In contrast, the rate of business and financial services saw an exponential increase. Standing at a mere 4% in 1900, the proportion of these services went up steadily, reaching a peak of more than 30% at the end of the period.

In conclusion, it is apparent from the data supplied that the UK economic structure had experienced considerable changes over the last century, with the increase in the rate of business and financial services and the decline in the proportions of agriculture and manufacturing.

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Writing Feedback / IELTS Writing Task 2; Old values have no relevance in the modern world [6]

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum :) Please give some comments on my essay so that I could know how to improve my writing skill. Any help will be highly appreciated.

Topic: Young people are said to have lost many of the traditional values of the older generation. This does not matter, because the old values have no relevance in the modern world. We need to develop a whole new set of values. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Every region in the world has its distinct custom and traditional values. However, many adolescents have failed to preserve these old values. Some people argue that this is of no importance, as the old values are no longer relevant in the modern society, and that a whole new set of values should be created instead. Personally, I strongly disagree with this point of view.

To begin with, it should be borne in mind that there are a large number of old beliefs that are still appropriate to this day. By way of illustration, students were expected to be obedient and respectful to their teachers in the past, and this value is still undoubtedly true nowadays. In fact, it is a precious moral value, as it can have a very positive influence on students' traits of character. Accordingly, I believe that such values should be preserved and fostered instead of being abolished.

However, there is no disputing the fact that some values are not relevant any longer and may inhibit the development of our society. A typical example of this is the problem of gender discrimination, which used to be very common in some Asian countries over the last centuries. At that time, woman were considered inferior to men and were treated unequally. In my opinion, this is a completely wrong belief and must be done away with. Nevertheless, such irrational beliefs are in the minority, thus we only need to abandon them rather than develop a whole new set of values.

In conclusion, although it is undeniable that some old beliefs may have an adverse effect on our society, there are many valuable ones that are still relevant in the modern world. Therefore, I firmly believe that people should not abandon all traditional values, but make an effort to save and promote precious ones.