This is an IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample answer essay from the general training test on the topic of leaving school and being successful.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer General Training: Leaving School & Success (Real Past IELTS Exam/Test)

Many people who drop out of school are more successful than those who complete their studies.

Why does this happen?

What does it require to be successful?

Real Past IELTS Exam/Test

There are numerous high-profile success stories about entrepreneurs who left school early. This happens because these people hone practical skills in the absence of academics and the main requirement of success is hard work.

Those who enter the labour market without academic qualifications have no choice but to compensate and make themselves concretely valuable. The most famous examples of this including Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs make for compelling articles but are not representative of most drop-outs. Most get jobs doing some kind of manual or semi-skilled labour such as training to become an electrician, plumber or cook. These jobs can withstand market fluctuations and with accumulated experience earn a high salary comparable to most university graduates and even many doctorate students.

The cliché that no one gets anywhere without working hard is true. If you choose to remain in school or drop out and enter the workforce, concerted effort will typically yield results. The examples of people getting rich quick or without much effort are appealing outliers but not instructive. A better example of the application of sustained perseverance is Dr. Seuss. His children’s books were continually rejected for more than two decades while he worked as a newspaper cartoonist to make ends meet. He continued to hone his craft and the quality of his work ensured that as long as he stuck with it, he would eventually be published. His wild success cannot be counted upon but everyone who dedicates themselves to a quality product will at least reap modest rewards.

In conclusion, those who stop studying find themselves valued for their practical skills and the key to success is hard work. Technology has disrupted the job market drastically but hard work and commitment applied to any trade will always be eminently employable skills.

Word Count: 295

Analysis

1. There are numerous high-profile success stories about entrepreneurs who left school early. 2. This happens because these people hone practical skills in the absence of academics and the main requirement of success is hard work.

  1. Paraphrase the overall topic for the esay.
  2. State your opinion clearly.

1. Those who enter the labour market without academic qualifications have no choice but to compensate and make themselves concretely valuable. 2. The most famous examples of this including Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs make for compelling articles but are not representative of most drop-outs. 3. Most get jobs doing some kind of manual or semi-skilled labour such as training to become an electrician, plumber or cook. 4. These jobs can withstand market fluctuations and with accumulated experience earn a high salary comparable to most university graduates and even many doctorate students.

  1. Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
  2. Begin an example to develop your main idea.
  3. Continue developing your main idea with specific support.
  4. Conclude your paragraph with more supporting ideas – not a new main idea!

1. The cliché that no one gets anywhere without working hard is true. 2. If you choose to remain in school or drop out and enter the workforce, concerted effort will typically yield results. 3. The examples of people getting rich quick or without much effort are appealing outliers but not instructive. 4. A better example of the application of sustained perseverance is Dr. Seuss. 5. His children’s books were continually rejected for more than two decades while he worked as a newspaper cartoonist to make ends meet. 6. He continued to hone his craft and the quality of his work ensured that as long as he stuck with it, he would eventually be published. 7. His wild success cannot be counted upon but everyone who dedicates themselves to a quality product will at least reap modest rewards.

  1. Write another topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
  2. Begin to develop your main idea.
  3. Here I dismiss irrelevant examples because they don’t apply to most people.
  4. Then I begin a better example.
  5. I develop that example.
  6. And keep developing the same example.
  7. I conclude the paragraph by making it more general and applying it to people who do not become famous.

1. In conclusion, those who stop studying find themselves valued for their practical skills and the key to success is hard work. 2. Technology has disrupted the job market drastically but hard work and commitment applied to any trade will always be eminently employable skills.

  1. Repeat your opinion.
  2. Add a final thought/extra detail for full marks from the IELTS examiner.

Vocabulary

What do the words in bold below mean?

There are numerous high-profile success stories about entrepreneurs who left school early. This happens because these people hone practical skills in the absence of academics and the main requirement of success is hard work.

Those who enter the labour market without academic qualifications have no choice but to compensate and make themselves concretely valuable. The most famous examples of this including Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs make for compelling articles but are not representative of most drop-outs. Most get jobs doing some kind of manual or semi-skilled labour such as training to become an electrician, plumber or cook. These jobs can withstand market fluctuations and with accumulated experience earn a high salary comparable to most university graduates and even many doctorate students.

The cliché that no one gets anywhere without working hard is true. If you choose to remain in school or drop out and enter the workforce, concerted effort will typically yield results. The examples of people getting rich quick or without much effort are appealing outliers but not instructive. A better example of the application of sustained perseverance is Dr. Seuss. His children’s books were continually rejected for more than two decades while he worked as a newspaper cartoonist to make ends meet. He continued to hone his craft and the quality of his work ensured that as long as he stuck with it, he would eventually be published. His wild success cannot be counted upon but everyone who dedicates themselves to a quality product will at least reap modest rewards.

In conclusion, those who stop studying find themselves valued for their practical skills and the key to success is hard work. Technology has disrupted the job market drastically but hard work and commitment applied to any trade will always be eminently employable skills.

Answers

numerous high-profile success stories many well-known examples

entrepreneurs people who start their own businesses

hone perfect/improve

in the absence of without

main requirement prerequisite

labour market employment/jobs

academic qualifications degrees and certificates

compensate make up for

concretely valuable actual importance/use

compelling articles interesting news stories

not representative don’t stand in for

drop-outs people who quit school

manual using your hands/body rather than mind

semi-skilled labour work requiring some skill

electrician, plumber examples of semi-skilled labour

withstand market fluctuations not effected by economic problems

accumulated experience time spent working

comparable related/contrasting

doctorate students PhD students

cliché common expression

no one gets anywhere you will not be successful

enter the workforce get a job

concerted effort working hard

typically yield results usually successful

getting rich quick making money suddenly

appealing outliers people like to here about these fantasies

instructive teaches/shows

application of sustained perseverance continuing to work hard

Dr. Seuss a children’s book writer from the United States

continually rejected turned away again and again

newspaper cartoonist person who draws comics for papers

make ends meet make enough money

hone his craft get better at his job

stuck with it continued doing it

published released to the public

wild success became very popular

counted upon relied on

dedicates commits

reap modest rewards get at least something out of it

valued considered important

practical skills skills that have useful applications

disrupted the job market drastically the types of jobs today have changed a lot

commitment applied to any trade perseverance in any sector

eminently employable skills very valuable qualities

Pronunciation

ˈnjuːmərəs haɪ-ˈprəʊfaɪl səkˈsɛs ˈstɔːriz 
ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜːz 
həʊn 
ɪn ði ˈæbsəns ɒv 
meɪn rɪˈkwaɪəmənt 
ˈleɪbə ˈmɑːkɪt 
ˌækəˈdɛmɪk ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃənz 
ˈkɒmpɛnseɪt 
ˈkɒnkriːtli ˈvæljʊəbl
kəmˈpɛlɪŋ ˈɑːtɪklz 
nɒt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv 
ˈdrɒpaʊts
ˈmænjʊəl 
ˈsɛmi-skɪld ˈleɪbə
ɪlɛkˈtrɪʃən, ˈplʌmə 
wɪðˈstænd ˈmɑːkɪt ˌflʌktjʊˈeɪʃənz
əˈkjuːmjʊleɪtɪd ɪksˈpɪərɪəns 
ˈkɒmpərəbl 
ˈdɒktərɪt ˈstjuːdənts
klɪʃeɪ
nəʊ wʌn gɛts ˈɛnɪweə 
ˈɛntə ðə ˈwɜːkˌfɔːs
kənˈsɜːtɪd ˈɛfət 
ˈtɪpɪk(ə)li jiːld rɪˈzʌlts
ˈgɛtɪŋ rɪʧ kwɪk 
əˈpiːlɪŋ ˈaʊtˌlaɪəz 
ɪnˈstrʌktɪv
ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n ɒv səsˈteɪnd ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪərəns 
ˈdɒktə zuːz
kənˈtɪnjʊəli rɪˈʤɛktɪd 
ˈnjuːzˌpeɪpə kɑːˈtuːnɪst 
meɪk ɛndz miːt
həʊn hɪz krɑːft 
stʌk wɪð ɪt
ˈpʌblɪʃt
waɪld səkˈsɛs
ˈkaʊntɪd əˈpɒn 
ˈdɛdɪkeɪts 
riːp ˈmɒdɪst rɪˈwɔːdz
ˈvæljuːd 
ˈpræktɪkəl skɪlz 
dɪsˈrʌptɪd ðə ʤɒb ˈmɑːkɪt ˈdræstɪk(ə)li 
kəˈmɪtmənt əˈplaɪd tuː ˈɛni treɪd 
ˈɛmɪnəntli ɪmˈplɔɪəbl skɪlz

Listen and repeat:

Vocabulary Practice

Remember and fill in the blanks:

There are n__________________ about e__________________ who left school early. This happens because these people h__________________ practical skills i__________________ academics and the m__________________ of success is hard work.

Those who enter the l__________________ without a__________________ have no choice but to c__________________ and make themselves c__________________. The most famous examples of this including Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs make for c__________________ but are n__________________ of most d__________________. Most get jobs doing some kind of m__________________ or s __________________ such as training to become an e__________________, p__________________ or cook. These jobs can w__________________ and with a __________________ earn a high salary c__________________ to most university graduates and even many d__________________.

The c__________________ that n__________________ without working hard is true. If you choose to remain in school or drop out and e__________________, c__________________ will t__________________. The examples of people g__________________ or without much effort are a__________________ but not i__________________. A better example of the a__________________ is D__________________. His children’s books were c__________________ for more than two decades while he worked as a n__________________ to m__________________. He continued to h__________________ and the quality of his work ensured that as long as he s__________________, he would eventually be p__________________. His w__________________ cannot be c__________________ but everyone who d__________________ themselves to a quality product will at least r__________________.

In conclusion, those who stop studying find themselves v__________________ for their p__________________ and the key to success is hard work. Technology has d__________________ but hard work and c__________________ will always be e__________________.

Listen and check:

Listening Practice

Listen to Xyra below talk about why she dropped out:

Reading Practice

Read about the keys to success below:

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/3-keys-for-success-life.html

Speaking Practice

Answer the questions below from the real IELTS part 3 speaking exam:

Life Goals

  1. How important is it for people to set goals?
  2. Do people set different goals at different stages of life?
  3. Are personal goals more important than professional goals?
  4. What sort of goals do young people today set?
  5. Are people becoming more pessimistic about their life goals?

Writing Practice

Answer the related IELTS question below then review with my sample answer:

These days people spend more and more time at work and less time at home.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Real Past IELTS Test/Exam

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