It is becoming increasingly popular to have a year off between finishing school and going to University. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay effectively addresses the task by discussing both the advantages and disadvantages of taking a year off between school and university. Key strengths include a clear structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, critical areas for improvement include the need for more thorough development of ideas, such as providing specific examples or statistics to support the points made. Additionally, the essay had several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that disrupted the flow of ideas. The structural changes made include correcting grammatical errors, improving transitions between points, and enhancing clarity. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include incorporating a wider range of vocabulary and providing more detailed examples to strengthen arguments. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and informative style throughout.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The essay has a basic structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the flow of ideas is sometimes disrupted by awkward phrasing and a lack of clear transitions between points. For example, using cohesive devices like 'Furthermore' or 'In addition' could improve the connection between ideas. Additionally, the conclusion could better summarize the main points discussed.
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, including subject-verb agreement issues ('there is more and more young people'), incorrect verb forms ('decides,' 'finished,' 'go'), and awkward constructions. While the writer demonstrates some range in sentence structure, the frequent errors hinder clarity. To improve, the writer should focus on subject-verb agreement and verb tense consistency, as well as proofreading for grammatical 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 generally appropriate, but there are several instances of repetitive words and phrases, such as 'year off' and 'University.' There are also some spelling errors (e.g., 'countrys,' 'liveing,' 'shore') that detract from the overall quality. To improve, the writer could incorporate a wider range of vocabulary and ensure correct spelling, such as using 'countries' and 'living.'
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 advantages and disadvantages of taking a year off between school and university. However, the development of ideas could be more thorough, with more specific examples to support the points made. For instance, elaborating on how travel can enhance personal growth or providing statistics on employment rates for those who take a gap year could 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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