Choosing University Subjects: Personal Interest vs Useful Fields

Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related to science and technology. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

9 sample answers, estimated Band 6.0–8.0. Your turn?

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From essays on this question

Essay ideas: Choosing University Subjects: Personal Interest vs Useful Fields

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

5 ideas

Second view

4 ideas

Same question · Different responses

Sample responses and feedback

Response 01

Must fixSuggested

Essay · 304 words · 4 paragraphs · 11 comments

Score details

Response 01
Estimated band6.0/ 9

Overall assessment

The response covers both views with relevant ideas and adequate vocabulary. Its main weakness is the unclear personal position: the introduction promises discussion, while the conclusion supports a strong foundation in core subjects without clearly resolving the choice-versus-restriction question. Some loosely connected statements and awkward comparisons also weaken the argument's precision.

TR

Task Response

Both views are addressed with relevant main ideas and some support, but the writer's own opinion remains vague and underdeveloped in the conclusion.

6.0
CC

Coherence and Cohesion

Ideas are organised into clear paragraphs with logical progression, though linking is at times mechanical and some statements connect loosely to the argument.

6.0
LR

Lexical Resource

An adequate range of vocabulary suits the topic, with some attempts at less common items, but occasional awkward or inaccurate phrases reduce precision.

6.0
GRA

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used with reasonable accuracy, though frequent minor errors and some faulty constructions are noticeable.

6.0

What to work on next

State a clear, consistent personal position in the introduction and reinforce it throughout the discussion and conclusion.

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Useful vocabulary: Choosing University Subjects: Personal Interest vs Useful Fields

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Sentence patterns: Choosing University Subjects: Personal Interest vs Useful Fields

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Part 2

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

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