Trying New Things vs Sticking to Familiar Routines

Some people like to try new things, for example, places to visit and types of food. Other people prefer to keep doing things they are familiar with. Discuss both these attitudes and give your own opinion.

Annotated response

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Attempting new activities and breaking habits, such as visiting new places, pursuing a new hobby, and trying new types of food, can be a thrilling and enriching experience for some people while quite daunting for others who prefer to stick with similar activities and familiar choices. Both attitudes have their own , and ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference. In this essay, I will be discussing both these attitudes, but personally, I prefer taking challenges and trying new things often.

Those who often maintain familiar activities and choices. People with this attitude feel comfortable and secure in sticking to what they already do and know. They believe that sticking to the familiar can lead to a sense of predictability and stability in life. I can see where they are coming from because there is definitely comfort in the familiar. For example, someone who always eats the same food and never tries new dishes may miss out on new experiences and flavours but also does not regret trying something that is so peculiar that it leaves a bad feeling the whole day.

On the other hand, those who are not afraid of can gain new experiences and enjoy rapid personal growth. They argue that experiencing new cultures, places, and foods, as well as pursuing new hobbies or tasks can broaden one's perspective and help one lead a more fulfilling life. I also have this mindset as I believe that trying new things can be an exciting and enriching experience. For example, I recently visited a new country for the an amazing experience. I was able to learn about a new culture and try new foods that I had never had before. It was a truly enriching experience and I felt like I had grown as a person from it.

To conclude, trying new things can lead to and personal growth while maintaining the accustomed routine can lead to a sense of predictability and stability. Since I love challenges and trying new things, I think it is good to try something new and break our habits for future growth and a fulfilling life.

Overall assessment

Why this response received Band 7.0

The response fully addresses the task, discussing both attitudes with a clearly stated personal preference and relevant supporting examples. Its strongest aspect is the clear organization and consistent development of ideas, while the main limitation is some repetition of vocabulary and occasionally generic examples that reduce precision.

IELTS criteria

How each score was decided

Task Response

7.0

The essay addresses both attitudes, presents a clear personal opinion throughout, and supports each view with relevant explanation and examples, though the examples remain somewhat general and one is slightly underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion

7.0

Ideas progress logically through clearly signposted paragraphs with effective cohesive devices, although linking is at times mechanical and the argument within paragraphs could be pushed further.

Lexical Resource

7.0

Vocabulary is sufficiently flexible and often precise, with phrases like broaden one's perspective and sense of predictability, but there is noticeable repetition of expressions such as enriching experience.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

7.0

A range of complex structures is used with good control, including relative and conditional forms, with only minor slips such as taking challenges and occasional awkward phrasing that do not impede understanding.