Some people believe that reducing the number of students in each class is the best way to improve education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
This IELTS Writing Task 2 answer was marked Band 7 on the four official criteria. All four criteria were marked at 7. The biggest single improvement: Develop the opposing or qualifying argument more fully: after mentioning "teacher training" and "learning resources," explain one concrete mechanism showing why these factors can matter as much as class size.
How it was marked
| Criterion | Band | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Task Response | 7 | The essay presents a clear position, agreeing that smaller classes are beneficial while arguing that they are not sufficient on their own. Ideas such as "individual attention" and "greater participation" are explained with relevant examples, although the discussion of teacher quality and learning resources is less fully developed than the discussion of class size. |
| Lexical Resource | 7 | The essay uses a good range of topic-specific vocabulary, including "overcrowded classrooms," "individual attention," and "educational outcomes," with generally appropriate meaning. However, several collocations are unnatural, such as "most optimal" and "keep extra classes," and there is some repetition of common words such as "students" and "teachers." |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | 7 | The essay demonstrates a good range of sentence structures, including conditionals, relative clauses, and complex sentences such as "Even in a small class, students may perform poorly if the teacher lacks the necessary skills." Grammar is generally accurate and errors do not impede communication, although a few constructions involving articles, generic nouns, and clause phrasing could be made more precise. |
| Coherence & Cohesion | 7 | The response is logically organised into an introduction, two supporting points, a counterargument, and a conclusion, with ideas progressing clearly. Cohesive devices such as "As a result," "For example," and "Nevertheless" are generally accurate, although some linking and reference choices are slightly repetitive or awkward. |
The answer
A learner answer, not a model answer — study what the marks reward, don't copy it.
Corrections from the marking
It is often argued that reducing the size of the class is the most optimal way to enhance the quality of education.
It is often argued that reducing the size of the class is the optimal way to enhance the quality of education.
"Optimal" already means best, so it should not normally be preceded by "most".
In overcrowded classrooms, it is often difficult to identify weaknesses and address their specific learning needs.
In overcrowded classrooms, it is often difficult to identify weaknesses and address students' specific learning needs.
The pronoun "their" has an unclear antecedent, so the possessive noun "students'" should be used for precise reference.
For example, students who struggle with mathematics can receive additional guidance; moreover, teachers can keep extra classes to provide support to those students, which may help them to understand difficult concepts and improve their academic performance.
For example, students who struggle with mathematics can receive additional guidance; moreover, teachers can hold extra classes to provide support to those students, which may help them to understand difficult concepts and improve their academic performance.
"Hold" or "offer" extra classes is the natural collocation; "keep extra classes" is not idiomatic in this context.
In a classroom, there are some students who struggle with understanding the concepts and are unable to ask questions to their respective teachers during the lecture because of hesitation.
In a classroom, there are some students who struggle with understanding the concepts and are unable to ask their respective teachers questions during the lecture because of hesitation.
The standard construction is "ask someone a question" or "ask someone questions," not "ask questions to someone."
A smaller learning environment encourages them to put their confusion in front of their teacher so they can address their questions.
A smaller learning environment encourages them to put their confusion in front of their teacher so that the teacher can address their questions.
The pronoun "they" has an ambiguous antecedent, so "the teacher" is needed to identify who will address the questions.
A smaller learning environment encourages them to put their confusion in front of their teacher
A smaller learning environment encourages them to express their confusion to their teacher
"Put their confusion in front of" is not a natural English expression; use "express their confusion" or "ask about what they do not understand".
so they can address their questions.
so that the teacher can answer their questions.
The pronoun "they" is ambiguous, and explicitly identifying the teacher as the person answering the questions makes the reference clear.
How this answer could score higher
- Develop the opposing or qualifying argument more fully: after mentioning "teacher training" and "learning resources," explain one concrete mechanism showing why these factors can matter as much as class size.
- Improve collocation accuracy by replacing "most optimal," "keep extra classes," and "put their confusion in front of their teacher" with "most effective," "hold additional classes," and "voice their questions to the teacher."
- Reduce repetition and improve sentence precision by replacing repeated references such as "students" and "teachers" with controlled alternatives such as "learners," "these pupils," "educators," and "each learner," while ensuring the reference remains clear.
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