Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later, and it is often argued that these are the best people to talk to teenagers about the dangers of committing a crime. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Sample Essay with Corrections
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The essay presents a clear opinion that ex-prisoners are suitable to talk to teenagers about crime, which is a key strength. The structure is generally appropriate, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, critical areas for improvement include the need for more depth in the argument, smoother transitions between points, and a wider range of vocabulary. The structural changes made include correcting grammatical errors, improving coherence with better transitions, and enhancing clarity in phrasing. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include providing specific examples of stories ex-prisoners might share and exploring the potential impact of these stories on teenagers. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and persuasive style.
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 somewhat disjointed, and transitions between points could be smoother. For example, using cohesive devices like 'Moreover' or 'In addition' could enhance the connection between ideas. Improving the logical sequencing of arguments would also help.
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 ('the best people to talking'), incorrect verb forms ('commiting' should be 'committing'), and awkward phrasing. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors detract from the overall quality. 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 several instances of repetition (e.g., 'committing crime' and 'teenager'). Additionally, some phrases are awkwardly constructed, such as 'the best people to talking' and 'the dangerous of committing crime.' To improve, the writer should aim to use a wider range of vocabulary and avoid redundancy.
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 presenting a clear opinion that ex-prisoners are suitable to talk to teenagers about crime. However, it lacks depth in developing the argument and could benefit from more specific examples or evidence to support the claims made. For improvement, the writer could elaborate on the types of stories ex-prisoners might share and how these stories could impact teenagers.
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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