Inborn Talent vs Taught Skills in Sports and Music

It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

5 sample answers, estimated Band 6.5–8.0. Your turn?

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From essays on this question

Essay ideas: Inborn Talent vs Taught Skills in Sports and Music

WhyThis is aDiscussion essay — it asks you to discuss two opposing views and give your own.

SoWe split the ideas intoFirst view(supports the first view)andSecond view(supports the second view).

First view

3 ideas

Second view

5 ideas

Same question · Different responses

Sample responses and feedback

Response 01

Must fixSuggested

Essay · 319 words · 4 paragraphs · 15 comments

Score details

Response 01
Estimated band6.5/ 9

Overall assessment

The response covers both views, states a clear opinion, and organises ideas into logical paragraphs with relevant examples such as Mozart. The main limitation is that some arguments and examples are asserted rather than convincingly supported, and occasional awkward phrasing and grammatical slips reduce precision.

TR

Task Response

The essay addresses both views and maintains a clear, consistent position with a concluding restatement, but some ideas and examples are relevant yet underdeveloped or only loosely supported.

6.5
CC

Coherence and Cohesion

Ideas progress logically across well-separated paragraphs with appropriate linking, though cohesion within paragraphs is sometimes mechanical and the transition into the opposing view is slightly abrupt.

7.0
LR

Lexical Resource

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including items like 'intensive training programs' and 'inborn qualities', but some collocations and expressions are imprecise, such as 'enable owners to excel'.

6.5
GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

A variety of complex structures is used with generally clear meaning, but recurring errors such as 'require learners some talents' and faulty relative constructions show imperfect control.

6.5

What to work on next

Develop examples with more specific, verifiable support and refine phrasing so that ideas are expressed accurately rather than through vague or awkward constructions.

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Useful vocabulary: Inborn Talent vs Taught Skills in Sports and Music

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Sentence patterns: Inborn Talent vs Taught Skills in Sports and Music

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Part 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words.

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