The internet has changed the way we communicate. Much communication today happens through social media. Some people support this and think it is a positive development. Others believe that social media have negative effects. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay demonstrates a clear understanding of the topic and presents both sides of the argument regarding social media's impact on communication. Key strengths include a relevant introduction and a conclusion that summarizes the main points. However, critical areas for improvement include grammatical accuracy, coherence, and the development of ideas. The structural changes made include correcting grammatical errors, improving transitions between paragraphs, and enhancing clarity in phrasing. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include providing more specific examples and elaborating on the points made to strengthen the argument. 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 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. To enhance coherence, the writer could use more cohesive devices and ensure that each paragraph logically follows from the previous one.
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 ('people thinks', 'it have negatively impacts'), incorrect verb forms ('sending message'), and awkward constructions ('making it more easy'). While the writer attempts to use a range of structures, the frequent errors hinder clarity. To improve, the writer should focus on grammatical accuracy and sentence structure.
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 (e.g., 'social media', 'communication') and some inaccuracies (e.g., 'internetworking', 'bad for relationships'). The writer demonstrates an ability to use some varied vocabulary, but to achieve a higher score, they should aim for more sophisticated word choices 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 task by discussing both views on social media's impact on communication and provides a personal opinion. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited, and the examples provided could be more relevant and detailed. To improve, the writer could include more specific examples and elaborate on the points made, ensuring a clearer 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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