Ielts Writing Task 2: Some people think the news has no connection to people's lives

Question: Some people think the news has no connection to people's lives. So then it is a waste of time to read the newspaper and watch television news programs.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Newspaper and electronic news are some of the most popular media to keep people updated with current circumstances around the globe. While many individuals think they are useless due to their irrelevant content to society, I completely differ on this opinion attributed to several reasons.

First and foremost, the newspaper provides knowledge ranging from social subjects to scientific fields. In order to meet the needs of all kinds of readers, the topics of news articles and programs are diverse. For instance, The Guardian - one of the most popular newspapers - offers a user-friendly interface which is precisely divided into specified pages such as social news, environmental issues, medical and scientific breakthroughs which allow viewers to find desired information easily. As a result, they can apply these pieces of knowledge in reality, which proves the practical use of news. Many university professors also encourage their students to read the news to help with their research.

Another important point is that the newspaper is an ideal tool to connect civilization. Since the majority of the population cannot afford overseas vacations, newspapers and news programs seem to be the perfect visualizations of other cultures. Given the fact that reporters are required to interview local witnesses, information from the news is considered objective, realistic, and accurate. Furthermore, electronic newspapers are now available in several languages and locations so that foreigners can learn about others without traveling. ASEAN sports newspaper exemplifies this precisely. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when people cannot watch football matches directly, not only do news articles keep viewers updated but the comment section also allows football supporters to discuss with others regardless of their geographic distance. Therefore, without face-to-face interactions, different communities can still be connected and tightened thanks to the news.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that news is excelled at connecting different people owing to the availability of global access and an excessive amount of knowledge offered. It is highly recommended for people, especially youngsters, to read newspapers to broaden their horizons.

Can you give me some feedback on my essay? Thank you so much!

It is important that the writer does not imply his personal opinion in the opening sentence of the prompt restatement + personal opinion section. That is because the task accuracy score of this section, relies on the method by which the exam taker can restate the original prompt, without altering the original slant of the discussion. That alteration happens when the writer presents a non-supported bit of information that is not found in the original presentation. This is what happened in this scenario. The writer presented information that cannot be seen once the examiner compares his prompt restatement with the original prompt. That lack of support is what will cause the points deductions due to alterations. That is why I advise the students to avoid presenting non-related information in the prompt restatement. Restate the original topic and public opinions sentence by sentence, without any additional information. Additional information may only be presented, with points awarded for it, in the personal opinion statement as the added information will give clarity to the opinion of the writer in a summarized form. These are the exact reasons why the current prompt restatement + personal opinion of the writer cannot be considered accurate nor worthy of a passing preliminary score. It does not fall under the guidelines that would allow it to get a high paragraph scoring consideration.

The writer has also forced several errors in his writing presentation that will prevent the awarding of passing or high scores based on the scoring rubic. This was the outcome of the overwritten, but not proof-read essay. With almost 400 words written, I am worried that the writer will miss out on writing a truly quality and content based essay during the actual test. Keep the discussions simple and within 300 words only. 275 words being the most ideal number of words that will help the test taker avoid too many point deductions during the actual test.

The essay tries to discuss too much, but develops too little of the content. One will gain a better score with a single, but fully developed presentation topic in a paragraph, than presenting several topics, but not really developing the explanation to a believable extent for each. The reader is not convinced of the validity of the discussion because of too many points being made in the presentation. Focus on one topic or two related topics next time. 2 topics that can be connected through the correct use of transition words, phrases, or better yet, transition sentences.

Well, I think that for task 2 IELTS writing, this is probably too much and you might spend a lot of time planning and writing than the recommended 40-minute time limit. Your vocabulary is good enough, but I think there is still space to improve for content. I think you should include more impacts of the problem, that way your essay is more trustworthy for the reader :) Anyways, I hope you will do well on the test and keep up the good work!

@adriennguyen
Thank you for your comment! It is true that I have spent exactly an hour on this essay which is probably too much :) Now that I know the main issue with my essays is content, I'll try to improve it in the future.

@Holt
I really appreciate your detailed feedback on my essay. It is really helpful to know my weakness so that I can improve them in the future. Thank you!