Some people believe that a person's culture is defined by their country of origin, while others believe that has only a minor influence. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay demonstrates a clear understanding of the task, addressing both views on how culture is defined and providing a personal opinion. Key strengths include a logical structure and relevant examples that support the main points. However, critical areas for improvement include grammatical accuracy, particularly with subject-verb agreement and verb forms, as well as the use of more varied vocabulary and cohesive devices to enhance coherence. Structural changes made include correcting grammatical errors, improving word choice, and ensuring proper transitions between ideas. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include expanding the range of vocabulary and incorporating more sophisticated linking phrases to improve the flow of ideas. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and objective stance throughout.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The essay has a logical structure with clear paragraphs, but the flow of ideas could be improved. Some transitions between ideas are abrupt, and the use of cohesive devices is limited. For example, phrases like 'on the one hand' and 'on the other hand' are used, but more varied linking words could enhance the overall coherence. To improve, the writer should focus on smoother transitions and clearer connections between ideas.
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 ('culture of a person is mostly determinate'), incorrect verb forms ('grow up' should be 'grows up'), and awkward constructions. While the writer demonstrates some range in sentence structures, the errors detract from clarity. To improve, the writer should focus on proofreading for grammatical accuracy and varying sentence structures.
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 instances of repetition and misuse, such as 'they country' instead of 'their country' and 'a person culture' instead of 'a person's culture'. While some sophisticated vocabulary is present, the overall range is limited. To improve, the writer should aim to use a wider variety of vocabulary and ensure accuracy in word choice.
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 views on how culture is defined, and it provides a clear opinion. However, there are some inaccuracies in the development of ideas, such as the use of 'affect' instead of 'effect' and 'discussed' instead of 'discuss'. To improve, the writer should ensure that all points are clearly articulated and supported with relevant examples.
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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