Some people believe that children at secondary school should be streamed, i.e. taught in classes according to ability, rather than being taught in mixed-ability classes. Do you think the advantages of streaming children at secondary school outweigh the disadvantages? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay presents a clear position in favour of streaming in secondary schools and discusses its advantages effectively. Key strengths include a logical structure with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, critical areas for improvement include the need for a more balanced view by addressing potential disadvantages of streaming, which was added in the revised version. The use of cohesive devices was enhanced, and spelling and grammatical errors were corrected to improve clarity and accuracy. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented include varying vocabulary further and incorporating more complex sentence structures. 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 a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is limited, and some transitions between ideas are abrupt. For instance, phrases like 'First of all' and 'Second' could be enhanced with more varied linking words. Improving the flow between ideas would enhance 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 some grammatical range, but there are frequent errors that affect clarity, such as subject-verb agreement ('streaming have' should be 'streaming has') and incorrect verb forms ('can done' should be 'can do'). To improve, the writer should focus on grammatical accuracy and vary sentence structures to demonstrate a wider 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 generally appropriate, but there are several instances of repetition (e.g., 'students' and 'ability'). Additionally, there are spelling errors such as 'stoodents' (students), 'disadventages' (disadvantages), and 'understund' (understand). To improve, the writer should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary and ensure correct spelling.
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 the advantages of streaming in secondary schools, presenting a clear position in favor of the idea. However, it lacks a balanced view as it does not adequately address potential disadvantages, which is essential for a comprehensive response. To improve, the writer could include a paragraph discussing the disadvantages of streaming and provide 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
Related Writing Samples
Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?
Whether or not someone achieves their aims is mostly a question of luck. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
We have become a disposable society, preferring to buy new products rather than fixing existing items. What are the causes of this trend and what are the possible solutions?
The tendency that news reports in media focus on problems and emergencies rather than on positive developments is harmful for individuals and the society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Today single-use products are still very common. Why is this? What are the problems associated with this?
In the future, more people will choose to go on holiday in their own country and not travel abroad on holiday. Do you agree or disagree?