You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Hobbies play an important role in our lives. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of having a hobby, and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
Sample Essay with Corrections
Expert Feedback
The essay demonstrates several strengths, including a clear understanding of the topic and relevant examples that illustrate both the benefits and drawbacks of having hobbies. The structure is generally logical, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, there are critical areas for improvement. The essay could benefit from a more balanced view of the drawbacks, as well as a more definitive conclusion that summarises the key points. Additionally, the transitions between ideas could be smoother, particularly when shifting from benefits to drawbacks. The vocabulary used is appropriate but could be expanded to avoid repetition and inaccuracies. Furthermore, grammatical errors and punctuation issues hinder clarity and should be addressed. The structural changes made include correcting grammatical errors, improving transitions, and enhancing the overall clarity of the writing. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include incorporating more complex sentence structures and a wider range of vocabulary to enhance lexical resource. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and informative style throughout.
Detailed Scores
What this means:
The essay is generally coherent, with a logical flow of ideas. However, some transitions between sentences and paragraphs could be smoother. For instance, the shift from discussing benefits to drawbacks could be more clearly signposted. Using cohesive devices more effectively would enhance the overall clarity.
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 basic range of grammatical structures, but there are several errors in grammar and punctuation (e.g., 'pass time' should be 'pastime', 'effect' should be 'affect', 'at leest' should be 'at least'). These errors occasionally hinder clarity. More complex sentence structures and attention to accuracy would enhance the score.
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 for the topic, with some variety. However, there are instances of repetition (e.g., 'hobby' and 'hobbies') and some inaccuracies (e.g., 'lesiure' should be 'leisure', 'harrmful' should be 'harmful'). Expanding the range of vocabulary and using synonyms could improve this score.
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 the benefits and drawbacks of having a hobby, providing relevant examples. However, the response could be improved by offering a more balanced view and deeper analysis of the drawbacks. Additionally, the conclusion could be more definitive in summarizing the key points.
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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