This is another IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer from IELTS Cambridge 13 and I am a former British Council examiner – what else do you need to know?
My Patreon only essays are located here.
The question for this one is related to education and history – both really common topics on all parts of IELTS.
There is analysis of how to write your IELTS Writing Task 2 and exercises for vocabulary below that – don’t miss out!
(And here are my other sample answers.)
Dave
IELTS Examiner Sample Answer from Cambridge 13: History (by Dave)
Some people say history is one the most important school subjects. Other people think that, in today’s world, subjects like science and technology are more important than history. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge. Write at least 250 words.
There are many people who have called into question the importance in today’s world of subjects like history, which do not have an immediately discernible impact on most future careers. While I think that history should still be mandatory, more practical subjects related to technology and the arts are more needed in our evolving world.
The main reason that students should study some history in school is that it provides crucial insights into nations around the world that serve as springboards for later political beliefs. In America, students learn about the American Revolution, the constitution and the founding fathers periodically from elementary to high school. They learn about why the war started (so that the colonies could tax and govern themselves) as well as the great figures from history like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Some of the principles students learn include the ideas of American exceptionalism, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility of citizens to vote in a representative democracy. Later in life, most people will lean liberal or conservative but still hold the same basic convictions about individual liberty and responsibility. By knowing the context in which these ideas emerged students can become adults with well-informed political beliefs and it will be more difficult for unscrupulous politicians to make false assertions about the past.
Although history should still be taught, the practical sciences and arts should be prioritised because these are more likely to have an impact on a person’s future career. Very few students will end up with careers in history, as historians or professors, but a large percentage will work in the arts and especially the sciences. For example, in Vietnam the most popular university majors are engineering, finance, and graphic design. If schools emphasise maths at school then this will better prepare them to make calculations in complex engineering projects or when working at a bank or accountancy firm. Even learning how to draw and use colors in art class is more useful for students because of the high demand for graphic designers on websites and advertisements. Countries that devote more of their educational budget towards these practical subjects will give students a head start on a potential future career and increase their chances of having a higher standard of living.
It is clear that in this case a moderate approach is best. School administrators should not remove history from the timetable but in my opinion they should devote more time and resources to the teaching of subjects related to technology and the arts. This will become ever more important as the tech industry continues to dominate the future job market.
IELTS Examiner Sample Answer Analysis
1. There are many people who have called into question the importance in today’s world of subjects like history, which do not have an immediately discernible impact on most future careers. 2. While I think that history should still be mandatory, more practical subjects related to technology and the arts are more needed in our evolving world.
1. The first sentence simply rephrases the topic – write this sentence as fast as you can because it doesn’t really matter much!
2. My second sentence makes my opinion clear and hints at my main reason.
1. The main reason that students should study some history in school is that it provides crucial insights into nations around the world that serve as springboards for later political beliefs. 2. In America, students learn about the American Revolution, the constitution and the founding fathers periodically from elementary to high school. 3. They learn about why the war started (so that the colonies could tax and govern themselves) as well as the great figures from history like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. 4. Some of the principles students learn include the ideas of American exceptionalism, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility of citizens to vote in a representative democracy. 5. Later in life, most people will lean liberal or conservative but still hold the same basic convictions about individual liberty and responsibility. 6. By knowing the context in which these ideas emerged students can become adults with well-informed political beliefs and it will be more difficult for unscrupulous politicians to make false assertions about the past.
1. The first sentence is a topic sentence, explaining the main idea of paragraph – history is important for later political views.
2. The second sentence develops this with a specific example that I know well from my own country – use your country to write your example because you will be able to better develop it!
3. My third sentence develops my example with more detail.
4. My fourth sentence continues to add more detail to the example.
5. The fifth sentence adds more detail and ties it back to the main idea.
6. My sixth sentence further develops the example and the main idea and summarises the paragraph.
1. Although history should still be taught, the practical sciences and arts should be prioritised because these are more likely to have an impact on a person’s future career. 2. Very few students will end up with careers in history, as historians or professors, but a large percentage will work in the arts and especially the sciences. 3. For example, in Vietnam the most popular university majors are engineering, finance, and graphic design. 4. If schools emphasise maths at school then this will better prepare them to make calculations in complex engineering projects or when working at a bank or accountancy firm. 5. Even learning how to draw and use colors in art class is more useful for students because of the high demand for graphic designers on websites and advertisements. 6. Countries that devote more of their educational budget towards these practical subjects will give students a head start on a potential future career and increase their chances of having a higher standard of living.
1. The first sentence is another topic sentence with a clear main idea: arts and sciences are more useful for students’ future careers.
2. My second sentence explains my main idea.
3. My third sentence begins an example that will last the rest of the paragraph. Get started on your examples as fast as you can!
4. My fourth sentence continues to focus on that example – don’t run away from your examples!
5. The fifth sentence also develops the same example…
6. My sixth sentence relates it back to the main idea and concludes the paragraph.
1. It is clear that in this case a moderate approach is best. 2. School administrators should not remove history from the timetable but in my opinion they should devote more time and resources to the teaching of subjects related to technology and the arts. 3. This will become ever more important as the tech industry continues to dominate the future job market.
1. The first sentence says that my opinion is going to be moderate – not strong. I am not sitting in the middle but my opinion is reasonable.
2. My second sentence explains what my opinion is – make this very, very clear!
3. My third sentence adds an extra, new detail – make sure you have this sentence or some examiners will not gie you above band 7 for task achievement!
Sample Answer Vocabulary
Don’t just read the words below – do some practice! Write a new sentence with each one even if you don’t know exactly what it means. Then read the definitions and fix your sentence if it is incorrect! Who needs a teacher?
There are many people who have called into question the importance in today’s world of subjects like history, which do not have an immediately discernible impact on most future careers. While I think that history should still be mandatory, more practical subjects related to technology and the arts are more needed in our evolving world.
The main reason that students should study some history in school is that it provides crucial insights into nations around the world that serve as springboards for later political beliefs. In America, students learn about the American Revolution, the constitution and the founding fathers periodically from elementary to high school. They learn about why the war started (so that the colonies could tax and govern themselves) as well as the great figures from history like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Some of the principles students learn include the ideas of American exceptionalism, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility of citizens to vote in a representative democracy. Later in life, most people will lean liberal or conservative but still hold the same basic convictions about individual liberty and responsibility. By knowing the context in which these ideas emerged students can become adults with well-informed political beliefs and it will be more difficult for unscrupulous politicians to make false assertions about the past.
Although history should still be taught, the practical sciences and arts should be prioritised because these are more likely to have an impact on a person’s future career. Very few students will end up with careers in history, as historians or professors, but a large percentage will work in the arts and especially the sciences. For example, in Vietnam the most popular university majors are engineering, finance, and graphic design. If schools emphasise maths at school then this will better prepare them to make calculations in complex engineering projects or when working at a bank or accountancy firm. Even learning how to draw and use colors in art class is more useful for students because of the high demand for graphic designers on websites and advertisements. Countries that devote more of their educational budget towards these practical subjects will give students a head start on a potential future career and increase their chances of having a higher standard of living.
It is clear that in this case a moderate approach is best. School administrators should not remove history from the timetable but in my opinion they should devote more time and resources to the teaching of subjects related to technology and the arts. This will become ever more important as the tech industry continues to dominate the future job market.
Answers:
called into question: up for debate, not everyone agrees on it
immediately discernible impact: clear effect that you can see
mandatory: you have to do it
evolving world: changing, modern world
provides crucial insights: gives important conclusions/lessons
springboards: originates in
periodically: regularly
govern: control or be in charge of
great figures: important people
American exceptionalism: the idea that America is different and special and can do whatever it wants
representative democracy: government where you elect people to vote for you, like senators and congressmen
lean liberal or conservative: have left-wing or right-wing (conservative) views
basic convictions: fundamental beliefs
well-informed political beliefs: educated opinions about politics
unscrupulous politicians: politicians who will lie, cheat, steal, etc to get what they want
false assertions: lies
prioritised: make more important
especially: particularly
better prepare: good preparation
high demand: lots of people want it
devote: dedicate or give
head start: begin with an advantage
moderate approach: not an extreme way of doing something, safer
timetable: schedule
job market: employment in a variety of industries
Vocabulary Practice
There are many people who have ____________________ the importance in today’s world of subjects like history, which do not have an __________________ on most future careers. While I think that history should still be __________________, more practical subjects related to technology and the arts are more needed in our __________________.
The main reason that students should study some history in school is that it __________________ into nations around the world that serve as __________________ for later political beliefs. In America, students learn about the American Revolution, the constitution and the founding fathers __________________ from elementary to high school. They learn about why the war started (so that the colonies could tax and __________________ themselves) as well as the __________________ from history like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. Some of the principles students learn include the ideas of __________________, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the responsibility of citizens to vote in a __________________. Later in life, most people will __________________ but still hold the same __________________ about individual liberty and responsibility. By knowing the context in which these ideas emerged students can become adults with __________________ and it will be more difficult for __________________ to make __________________ about the past.
Although history should still be taught, the practical sciences and arts should be __________________because these are more likely to have an impact on a person’s future career. Very few students will end up with careers in history, as historians or professors, but a large percentage will work in the arts and __________________ the sciences. For example, in Vietnam the most popular university majors are engineering, finance, and graphic design. If schools emphasise maths at school then this will __________________ them to make calculations in complex engineering projects or when working at a bank or accountancy firm. Even learning how to draw and use colors in art class is more useful for students because of the __________________ for graphic designers on websites and advertisements. Countries that __________________more of their educational budget towards these practical subjects will give students a __________________ on a potential future career and increase their chances of having a higher standard of living.
It is clear that in this case a __________________ is best. School administrators should not remove history from the __________________ but in my opinion they should devote more time and resources to the teaching of subjects related to technology and the arts. This will become ever more important as the tech industry continues to dominate the future __________________.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 – History (Band 8)
Here is an example of a IELTS Speaking Part 2 on the topic of an important figure from history, done by Nguyen!
You can read the full post with analysis of her band score here.
Here is the full transcript with a couple of corrections:
Ok so a person from history I’m going to talk about today is Leonardo DaVinci. Leonardo DaVinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath whose areas of interest included invention architecture, sculpting, science and there are so many more that I can’t remember them all right now. But in general he was a multi-talented man. Um … and he’s also considered one of the greatest painters of all time. And many historians and scholars regard Leonardo DaVinci as a universal genius or a Renaissance man. And among his works the Mona Lisa is the most famous and duplicated portrait with ‘The Last Supper’ being the most reproduced religious painting of all time. And I think one – there was a historian – that I can’t remember the name – once said that “Leonardo DaVinci went beyond his time” – that he could – he could think of inventions that were so advanced that most of his work and designsweren’t feasible during his lifetime, and most of his designs weren’t recognised or realised until 100 years later. And during his time, which was like 500 years ago, he was able to conceptualise the flying machine, armored fighting vehicle and even concentrated solar power. The reason why I admire him is because I think that he – I agree with all other historians and scholars that he was one of the greatest paintersof all time and somehow I think his personality and – his personality was quite mysterious and remote in a way that it has made me more curious to learn more about him.
Links from TedEd
I really love the TedEd videos because they are really high-quality and the visuals help second language learners. Read more about how to practice while watching here.
The history of the world according to cats
A brie(f) history of cheese
History vs. Christopher Columbus
A glimpse of teenage life in ancient Rome
Comment below – who is the most important person in the history of your country?
I’d have to say that’s…
Most people would agree that…
Not everyone shares my view, but I think…
There’s no history in my country – we only have the present and the future!
Great essay and beautiful language sir. I am glad that i ran into your site. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the kind words – hope that I can be of some help to you!
Hello, can you kindly take a look at my answer please?
As technology takes a bigger and bigger part of our lives, there is an ongoing debate on the topic: Are Science and Technology more important subject than History? Some people argue that science and technology is more important to follow the trend, while others insist that history is more important to keep our humanity.
Learning science and technology is important as the needs to learn them are getting higher in modern society. Technology has been deeply involved in our lives. For example, Fruits we consume are raised using solar energy system and clothes are imported or exported to different countries on the ships built with high technology. Furthermore, it is the era that you need to know how to use Kiosk if you want to order a hamburger for your lunch. On the other hands, others argue that history is one of the most important subjects. Learning history is helpful to understand our ancestors and how the world turns out at the stage we are now. History can help us to keep being humanized even in the fast-changing world with full of robots.
I strongly believe that history cannot be disregarded no matter how important technology is. Learning technology is important, but that doesn’t mean that learning history is not important. History is foundation of a person, an ethnic group, and a country. There is a saying to indicate of the significance of learning history, “There is no future for those whom forget their history.” It is important to learn about the past to go further future. In this case, history is our past and technology is our future.
In conclusion, there is no right answer for the question if science and technology is more important than history. However, it is significant to learn history because it helps to understand the root where we are from as well as how the world becomes as it is at this point. It also keeps the world to be balanced between human and technology.
Sure!
Some feedback:
1. Don’t write questions in your essay.
2. Try focusing on one main idea. Just write about technology in the second paragraph and then history in the next one.
3. Good clear examples and support!
4. Your support of history in the second paragraph is too general. Be more specific like with your example for technology.
5. The third paragraph is too general as well. Why not use the history of your country as an example since you probably know it well?
6. Write an overall opinion at the end – one should be more important overall!
Good effort!
Hi Dave, Can you take a look at my introduction to this task please?
History is considered by some parents that is a top priority subject in schools. While there are others who think that, in modern world, studying Science and Technology are more effective and futurable subjects compared to History. In my opinion, I believe, in this globalization era, one of the important aim is create a new breakthrough in Science and Technology fields using History as a practical source, towards to the future.
You have the main structure down but it is too long. Try to write it a bit shorter and simpler – just paraphrase the topic and give your opinion.
You also don’t have to capitalise those words – only capitalise proper nouns.
Keep up the good work!
Hi, Can i write my introduction like this?
In modern world, some parents prefer science and technology rather than history, however, there are still number of people who think history is one of the most effective subject. I agree that history is beneficial factor to inspire students to be knowledgeable. In this essay, i will discuss both views and give my opinion.
That is fine! Some edits – don’t say ‘in modern world’ just say nowadays or these days and it is also not parents who prefer it – they prefer for their children to learn about…
Your opinion is clear though!
thank you so much
You’re welcome!
hi, can you please take a look at my writing structure as I am a bit confused.
1st paragraph – introduction but without stating my opinion
2nd and 3rd- discuss both views in detail
4th- conclude the main idea of both stances and state my stance: moderate approach should be adopted
If I don’t have a stance at the beginning of my writing, will it affect my organization marks?
Hi Cherry,
You can state your opinion in the intro, if you like. It is good for your TA and CC scores.
Good structure for the 2nd and 3rd.
Be careful with the moderate approach – better to just choose a side so that your opinion is clear.
It’s not worth the risk of sitting in the middle and getting band 5 or lower for TA.
Hi, Dave. Thank you for creating this amazing website. I have one question.
why do you talk about arts in the essay? The question only mentions history, science and technology.
Hello,
Can you tell how can i write writing task 2.
Any suggestion and simple method or tips.
Sure, there are tons in my blog.
What are you looking for specifically, Ruchita?
Hello, would you please check out my essay?
It is often argued that history is one of the most crucial parts of the school curriculum. However, some people believe that in today’s society, courses in other subjects such as science and technology are more crucial than history course. This essay will explore both sides and attempt to reach a conclusion.
History gives individuals their identity. It is clear that without stuyding history, we would forget our past. What’s more, we can avoid the diseaster like The World War 2 by studying history. In addition, history helps us understand how our ancestors contributed to their country development. So we can choose the best available way to help our nations. I think history should be assigned a high priority in the school curriculm as it makes pupils aware of their huge responsibility to their country. In addition, I believe history should be a compulsary course.
Some individuals claim that subjects like science and technology are more essential than hsitory. I think these people are worry about their children’s future. Nowadys, these subjects play a vital role in the industrial development. So many authorities spend much more money on technological recearches. as a consequence, parents want their children to learn more about science and tecnology. while I understand their intention, I think every engineer and scientist should study history to aware how technolongy or science have gradually changed.
Some people claim that history should be an impotant part of the school currculum. Others think their children should study more about science and technology. I agree with the first view and I think science, technology and history are equally impotant.