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User-written IELTS example

Writing Academic Task 2 Band 8.0 Example

Original task prompt, user essay, band score, and related examples in the same report workspace.

359 words AcademicTask 2
Task 2

Illustrative target band for this original model answer.

Plan your answer

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Ideas to explore

  • Those who oppose homework point to the demands already made during the school day.
  • The opposing view is that some learning benefits from practice beyond the lesson.
  • The usefulness depends on design and feedback.

Suggested structure

  1. Give a direct introduction and state the required position.
  2. Explain the first side or reason with a relevant example.
  3. Address the second side and the conditions that limit the claim.
  4. Return to the precise question in the conclusion.
Useful vocabulary & examples
purposeful homework
assignments with a clear learning objective

Homework can reinforce learning, but excessive or poorly designed assignments take time without a clear benefit. I support limited purposeful homework rather than either a complete ban or routine large quantities.

focused practice
practice directed at a particular skill

Homework can reinforce learning, but excessive or poorly designed assignments take time without a clear benefit. I support limited purposeful homework rather than either a complete ban or routine large quantities.

unequal conditions
differences in resources or support

There is also an issue of unequal conditions: some pupils have a quiet place and help at home, while others do not.

Task Prompt

Some people believe that school children should not be given homework by their teachers, whereas others argue that homework plays an important role in the education of children. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

User Essay Analysis

Review the public answer with report-style highlights.

Band 8.0

Assigning homework is strongly opposed by a segment of citizens. Nevertheless, others claim that these assignments and kids’ education are inseparable, as it helps pupils to consolidate their knowledge. In this essay, I firmly gravitate towards the latter view. Before explaining my perspective, I will clarify both previous statements. On the one hand, homework may take time from rest and other activities.

Those who oppose homework point to the demands already made during the school day. Children need time for rest, play and relationships as well as academic work. An evening dominated by repetitive exercises may leave little space for these activities. There is also an issue of unequal conditions: some pupils have a quiet place and help at home, while others do not. The assignment can therefore measure available support as much as independent understanding.

The opposing view is that some learning benefits from practice beyond the lesson. A short task can allow pupils to check whether they understand a method before moving to a more complex topic. It can also give the teacher information about a difficulty that was not obvious in class. Homework is more defensible when it has this specific purpose than when it is assigned because every lesson is expected to produce a worksheet.

The usefulness depends on design and feedback. Work that is never reviewed gives pupils little guidance about mistakes, while an assignment far beyond their current understanding may require someone else to complete it. Teachers should consider how long a task is likely to take and whether it can be done with ordinary resources. The aim should be meaningful practice, not the largest possible amount of written output.

I therefore favour a moderate approach. A brief reading activity or a few carefully chosen problems can support the next lesson without occupying the whole evening. Schools should coordinate expectations so that several individually reasonable assignments do not become an unreasonable combined workload. Free time remains a legitimate part of childhood.

In conclusion, both views identify a real issue. Homework can help education when it is purposeful, manageable and reviewed, but its value does not increase simply because teachers assign more of it.

Targeted Improvement Tips

1
Use the direct opening to answer the precise task and keep that judgement consistent.
2
Develop a relevant example through cause and consequence rather than leaving it as a name or list item.
3
Check the quoted clauses in context and qualify statements that imply a guaranteed outcome.

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