Social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram improve international relationships as people all over the world are free to communicate and exchange ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay effectively addresses the prompt, presenting a clear opinion that supports the idea that social networking websites improve international relationships. Key strengths include relevant examples and a balanced acknowledgment of potential drawbacks, which adds depth to the argument. However, the conclusion has been made more assertive to summarize the main points more effectively. Critical areas for improvement include enhancing coherence through smoother transitions and reducing repetition in vocabulary. The use of synonyms for 'social media' and 'people' would demonstrate a wider lexical range. Additionally, incorporating a greater variety of complex sentences would enhance grammatical range. Structural changes made include refining the introduction for clarity, improving transitions between paragraphs, and adjusting the conclusion to be more assertive. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include varying sentence structures more significantly and expanding the vocabulary used to avoid repetition. The tone used is appropriate for the task, maintaining a formal yet personal style that is suitable for an IELTS essay.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The essay is generally well-organized, with a logical flow of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the argument, and there are some cohesive devices used to link ideas. However, transitions between some points could be smoother, and the use of more varied cohesive devices would enhance the overall coherence.
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 'more close' instead of 'closer,' and some awkward phrasing, but these do not significantly impede understanding. A greater variety of complex sentences would enhance the grammatical range.
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 some good expressions such as 'make better connections' and 'understand what happens in other countries.' However, there are instances of repetition, such as the use of 'social media' and 'people,' which could be replaced with synonyms to demonstrate a wider lexical range. Overall, the vocabulary is effective for the task.
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 effectively, presenting a clear opinion that supports the idea that social networking websites improve international relationships. It provides relevant examples and acknowledges potential drawbacks, which adds depth to the argument. However, the conclusion could be more assertive in summarizing the main points, which would strengthen the overall response.
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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