#IELTS Writing Task Response mistake ❗️

As usual, before I explain the mistake, I will illustrate it – see if you can notice it.

Topic: “Some people believe that children that commit crimes should be punished. Others think the parents should be punished instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.”

I will give short, simplified examples for illustration purposes.

Paragraph 1️⃣: The reasoning behind the view that the punishment must be imposed on parents relies on two arguments. First, the offense might be seen as a direct result of upbringing …

Paragraph 2️⃣: I, however, do not consider these arguments convincing and believe that parents must not face any punishment. The main reason for this is that it is unfair to punish those who did not commit any crimes. More importantly, parents cannot be held accountable for their child’s upbringing because their child might have become susceptible to a negative influence elsewhere – for example, at school. …

Do you see what I did wrong in the second paragraph?

Instead of arguing in favor of the second point of view, I argued against the first point of view; i.e. instead of arguing that children must be punished, I argued that parents must not be punished.

Make sure you argue the actual view in the topic – not the just opposite of another view. ❗️

Lifehack: Look at the actual topic several times as you write.

See my full essay on this topic in a pdf collection of around 100 sample answers:

https://t.me/irinalutsenko/551