here have been many inventions in human history, such as the wheel. Some people think the most important invention is the Internet.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. here have been many inventions in human history, such as the wheel. Some people think the most important invention is the Internet.

Internet as the most important invention in human history - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7 ยท 306 words.

In the contemporary world, there have been numerous inventions in human history, such as the wheel. However, some people claim that the most important invention in human history is the Internet. From a broader perspective, I partly agree with this stance, since although the Internet has transformed modern life, it should not be considered ''the most important invention''.

To begin with, one crucial advantage of the Internet is communication regardless of location. The majority of people used to struggle to interact with one another over long distances. These people had to wait for a long time in order to send or receive letters or presents. However, the advent of the Internet simplified these issues. Nowadays, people do not need to wait, since they can chat immediately with each other through the digital apps. Take Telegram, for example, which can send messages from one person to another in an instant. Therefore, such advancements of the Internet have strengthened the relationship between individuals.

On the other hand, there have been many inventions in human history which could be regarded as more important than the Internet. In my opinion, the discovery and controlled use of fire should be considered the most important development in human history. This is because fire has been a crucial component of people's lives for centuries. In this case, people have been utilizing fire for many aspects of their lives, from cooking foods to scarring off predators. Consequently, without fire, human survival and development would be significantly limited.

To sum up, even though the invention of the Internet has alleviated some people's problems, such as long-distance communication through digital apps, it should not be considered the important invention in human history, since it had not played a significant role in human history as fire has, which people have used for numerous aspects of their lives.

Examiner feedback

This is a well-organized and clearly argued essay that achieves a Band 7.0. It maintains a consistent position and uses a good range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, though minor slips in spelling and article usage prevent it from reaching a higher band.

Task Response - 7

- The response addresses all parts of the task by evaluating the importance of the Internet relative to other historical developments. - A clear position is maintained throughout the essay: the Internet is significant but not the 'most' important. - Main ideas are extended and supported, though the comparison with the wheel (mentioned in the prompt) could have been more explicitly integrated into the argument.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is organized logically with a clear progression from the introduction to the conclusion. - Cohesive devices like 'To begin with', 'However', and 'On the other hand' are used appropriately to signal transitions. - Each paragraph has a clear central topic, though some referencing within sentences could be more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource - 7

- The range of vocabulary is sufficient to allow for some precision (e.g., 'contemporary world', 'advent', 'alleviated'). - Less common lexical items like 'regardless of location' and 'crucial component' are used with awareness of style. - Spelling is generally accurate, with the exception of 'scarring' which changes the meaning slightly in the context of predators.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A variety of complex structures are used, such as conditional sentences ('without fire, human survival...') and relative clauses. - Frequent error-free sentences are produced, demonstrating good control over grammar. - Minor errors occur, such as 'scarring off' instead of 'scaring off' and some minor tense inconsistencies ('had not played' vs 'has not played').

Related prompts

Start Practice