Some believe that young people should be required to attend full-time education until they are at least 18 years old.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Some believe that young people should be required to attend full-time education until they are at least 18 years old.

Young People Full-Time Education Until 18 Required - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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 263 words.

It is believed by some individuals that teenagers should participate in full-time education until they are at least 18 years old. I strongly agree with this notion, as I believe that it prevents students from wasting valuable time and boosts their academic knowledge even further.

Firstly, if students are encouraged to study until they are18 years old, it would allow them to save valuable time, which is otherwise wasted. Without school, they might spend their days on social media, gaming, or wandering the streets. In addition, people who drop out of school at earlier ages tend to be unemployed or work in low-paid jobs because they are not mature enough to find a suitable career path on their own. Moreover, schools provide a safe environment. If they leave school too early, students are more likely to be involved in trouble or develop bad habits.

Furthermore, it is a fact that our world has changed, and basic knowledge is not enough for people to land well-paid jobs. Most jobs require more than just reading and writing. They need more advanced concepts like math or science, which are taught in high schools. In addition, students would have enough time to prepare for university. Statistically, with a school diploma and a university degree, people often make more money than those who drop out of school at an earlier age.

In conclusion, it should be mandatory for students to engage in full-time education until they are mature enough. Dropping out of school poses several risks, such as developing bad habits or ending up jobless in the future.

Examiner feedback

This is a solid Band 7.0 essay. It is well-organized, presents a clear argument, and uses a good range of vocabulary and grammatical structures with high accuracy. To reach a higher band, the writer should aim for more nuanced idea development and use more sophisticated, less mechanical transition signals.

Task Response - 7

- The student addresses all parts of the task and maintains a clear position throughout the essay. - Ideas are relevant and generally well-supported, although some arguments (like the claim about wandering the streets) are slightly over-generalized. - The response is concise; while it covers the requirements, further development of the 'economic benefits' or 'social maturity' aspects would have strengthened the score.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information and ideas are organized logically with a clear progression from introduction to conclusion. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'Firstly', 'In addition', 'Furthermore') are used effectively, though they are somewhat formulaic/mechanical. - Each paragraph has a clear central topic that supports the overall thesis.

Lexical Resource - 7

- A sufficient range of vocabulary is used to allow for some flexibility and precision (e.g., 'notion', 'mandatory', 'statistically', 'land well-paid jobs'). - There is a good use of collocations such as 'suitable career path' and 'basic knowledge'. - Spelling is accurate, though there is a minor spacing error ('are18').

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- The writer uses a variety of complex structures, including conditional sentences ('If they leave school too early...') and relative clauses. - Most sentences are error-free, demonstrating good control over grammar and punctuation. - Minor slips do not impede communication.

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