In some countries, secondary schools aim to provide a general education across a range of subjects. In others, children focus on a narrow range of subjects related to a particular career. Which do you think is appropriate in today's world?
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay demonstrates a clear understanding of the task and presents a well-structured argument in favour of a broad education in secondary schools. Key strengths include a logical progression of ideas and a clear position on the topic. However, critical areas for improvement include grammatical accuracy, particularly with subject-verb agreement and verb forms, as well as the need for more varied vocabulary to avoid repetition. Structural changes made include correcting grammatical errors, enhancing transitions between points, and refining the clarity of topic sentences. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include incorporating more specific examples to illustrate the benefits of a broad education and using a wider range of cohesive devices to improve the flow of the essay. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and objective stance throughout.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The essay is generally coherent, with a logical progression of ideas. However, some transitions between points could be smoother. For example, the phrase 'On the other hand' could be better supported with a clearer connection to the previous point. Using more varied cohesive devices would enhance the overall flow of the essay.
How to improve:
- Use a clear paragraph structure
- Connect ideas with appropriate linking words
- Maintain logical progression
- Use referencing effectively
What this means:
The essay contains several grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('Some countries provides' should be 'Some countries provide') and incorrect verb forms ('students learns' should be 'students learn'). While the overall meaning is clear, these errors detract from the overall quality. A greater variety of sentence structures would also improve the score.
How to improve:
- Use complex sentence structures
- Maintain grammatical accuracy
- Use a variety of sentence patterns
- Check for common grammar errors
What this means:
The vocabulary used is appropriate, but there are instances of repetition, such as 'subjects' and 'students.' Additionally, phrases like 'limited subjects' and 'career-focused subjects' could be varied to demonstrate a wider lexical range. Incorporating more sophisticated vocabulary and idiomatic expressions would elevate the writing.
How to improve:
- Use a wider range of vocabulary
- Demonstrate awareness of collocations
- Avoid word repetition
- Use more sophisticated vocabulary accurately
What this means:
The essay addresses the task by discussing both approaches to secondary education and clearly presents a position in favor of a general education. However, it could benefit from more specific examples and a deeper exploration of the implications of each approach. For instance, discussing how a broad education can lead to adaptability in a changing job market would strengthen the argument.
How to improve:
- Address all parts of the task fully
- Support ideas with specific examples
- Develop each point thoroughly
- Stay relevant to the topic
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