You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: In many countries, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become increasingly popular. However, some people say that social media can be used as a tool for online bullying, known as cyberbullying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? 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 a clear understanding of the topic of cyberbullying and presents a coherent argument. Key strengths include a relevant introduction and a logical structure with distinct paragraphs. However, critical areas for improvement include addressing grammatical errors, enhancing vocabulary, and providing more specific examples to support claims. Structural changes made include correcting grammatical issues, improving coherence with better transitions, and refining the vocabulary for clarity and sophistication. Suggestions for further improvements not implemented in the corrected version include incorporating specific statistics or case studies related to cyberbullying to strengthen the argument further. The tone used is appropriate for an academic essay, maintaining a formal and serious approach to the topic.
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 occasionally disrupted by awkward phrasing and grammatical errors. The use of cohesive devices is present but could be more varied and effective. For instance, using linking words like 'furthermore' or 'in addition' could enhance the logical progression of 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 numerous grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues and incorrect verb forms (e.g., 'becomes' instead of 'become', 'puting' instead of 'putting'). These errors affect clarity and readability. While there are some complex sentences, the overall grammatical range is limited. 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 for the topic, but there are several spelling errors (e.g., 'famos', 'negatif', 'viktims', 'anonymus', 'dangeros') that detract from the overall quality. The writer demonstrates some range in vocabulary but could benefit from using more sophisticated terms and avoiding repetition. For example, instead of 'bully', they could use 'harasser' or 'perpetrator'.
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 topic of cyberbullying and presents a clear position that agrees with the statement. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited, and the examples provided are not fully fleshed out. To improve, the writer could include specific examples or statistics related to cyberbullying to strengthen their 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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"Violence in playgrounds is increasing. However, it is important that parents should teach children not to hit back at bullies."