Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and pollution problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree? What other measures do you think might be effective?
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay effectively addresses the prompt by discussing both the potential benefits of increasing petrol prices and alternative solutions to traffic and pollution problems. Key strengths include a clear structure with a logical flow of ideas and appropriate use of cohesive devices. However, critical areas for improvement include the need for more specific examples or data to support claims, as well as enhancing lexical variety to avoid repetition. Minor grammatical errors were corrected, such as 'best way' to 'the best way' and 'less traffic jams' to 'fewer traffic jams.' Suggestions for further improvements not implemented include incorporating specific statistics or case studies to strengthen arguments and varying vocabulary further to enhance lexical resource. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and objective stance throughout.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The essay is well-organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Ideas are logically sequenced, and cohesive devices such as 'on the one hand' and 'on the other hand' are effectively used to guide the reader through the argument. This contributes to a smooth flow of information.
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 demonstrates a good range of grammatical structures, with mostly accurate usage. There are minor errors, such as 'best way' which should be 'the best way,' and 'fewer cars on the roads and therefore less traffic jams' which should be 'fewer traffic jams.' These errors do not significantly impede understanding but do detract from overall accuracy.
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 and varied, with phrases like 'traffic congestion,' 'public transport,' and 'air pollution' demonstrating a good range. However, there is some repetition of terms such as 'traffic' and 'pollution,' which could be improved by using synonyms or paraphrasing to enhance lexical variety.
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 prompt by discussing both the potential benefits of increasing petrol prices and alternative solutions to traffic and pollution problems. However, it could be improved by providing more specific examples or data to support the claims made, which would enhance the argument's depth and persuasiveness.
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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