IELTS Writing Sample #117

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taugh to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

You should write at least 250 words.

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

model answer:

Nowadays, purpose of education being changed in Korea. There are some People who think that competition in children should be made, also others believe that children who are taught to co-operate as well as become more usefwl adults. There are advantages and disadvantages for both of the arguments.

To begin with, what is good if a sense of competition m children is made? They could develope themselves more and more as they learn and study a lot to win from the competitbn. To prove this, in Korea, it is popular - even common now - to have a tutor who come to student's house to teach extra pieces of study with paying a lot of money. They learn faster than what they learn at school. Furthermore, during the vacations, students study abroad to learn English for a month instead of revise school work. If they have experiments such as study abroad, it is one of the greatest plus point to go to the famous well-known high-school. Moreover, there are four big school exam and two national examinations to test students' level of studies. Generally, only the highest 40% can go to the good quatrty highschools and colleges. Children learn as much as they can, to wim the competition to obtain good quality schools.

On the other hand, as they are busy to enter the schools and study individually with their own tutors, there are problems. They become selfish. They become careless and don't help others alot if it is about studies. There will be no co-operations for them. Then, why are there companies for many people to work in? Each of them are clever, however, there are weak parts and strong parts for each person. To co-operate is to improve this part. People talk and listen to what others thmking of and learn. That could also be a great opportunity to learn instead of learning alone with one teacher.

In conclusion, I strongly agree with that children should be taught to co-operate rather than compete. Nobody is perfect. People learn together, work together to develop each other. Therefore, I want parents and teachers to educate children concentrating on co-operation, not compete and ranking them.

(365 words)

This is an answer written by a candidate who achieved a Band 6 score. Here is the examiner's comment:

Although the answer considers the main issues in the question, it deals much more with the aspect of 'competition' than it does with 'co-operation'. Some of the supporting examples are overdeveloped and divert the reader away from the argument. However, the main points are
relevant and the writer's point of view is generally clear.
The argument has a logical progression and there is some good use of linking expressions, though the use of rhetorical questions to signal topic changes is not very skilful. There are also examples of overusing markers, and of errors in referencing.
The candidate tries to use a range of language, but there are regular errors in word choice and word form, and this occasionally causes problems for the reader. Similarly, a range of structures is attempted, but not always with good control of punctuation or grammar. However, the meaning is generally clear.