Some People Think Men and Women Have Different Natural Abilities That Make Them Suitable

Some people think men and women have different natural abilities that make them suitable for different types of work. Others, however, believe that both men and women can be equally suited to do any type of work. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Sample Answer A

I agree that men and women have different natural abilities. This makes them suitable for different types of work. Women are good at looking after children and men are good at earning money for the family. Women are more suited to jobs where they look after people and men are more suited to jobs where they make decisions. Women are emotional and men are strong and can flight. Women are kinder than men. Men are good at being the boss. This is what happens in most countries and this proves that men and women have different natural abilities that make them suitable for different types of work. (107 words)

Assessment

Even though there are no grammar or vocabulary errors in this answer it would get a low IELTS band because:  it is significantly underlength (it would lose a lot of marks for this)  the introduction is copied from the rubric with only slight changes  the conclusion is also copied from the rubric  the response does not discuss both points of view  it is difficult to identify what the main ideas are  the ideas are not developed or supported  ideas are simply listed rather that being organised into an argument  the response is not organised into paragraphs so it is hard to follow  there are very few links between sentences  the writing is repetitive

Sample Answer B It is understandable that some people believe that the physical and genetic differences between men and women equip them for different activities and skills. Because women have babies, they have traditionally worked in the home in most cultures. In addition, employed women have tended to dominate the so-called “caring professions” such as teaching, nursing or social work, and this has reinforced the idea that women are particularly suited to such jobs.

However, it is very difficult to separate this notion from our cultural traditions and to arrive at any clear idea of what natural abilities belong to one or the other gender. As more and more women in different countries get jobs outside the home, it is clear that they are able to perform jobs that were traditionally only held by men. With high levels of education, even the highest positions in science, politics or law, for example, can be held successfully by women. Therefore, those who claim that sexes can do the same jobs equally seem to have a good point, especially in terms of intellectual work.

There is also increasing scientific evidence that individual differences between people may be more important than gender differences. In other words, some women may be physically stronger than some men, while some male individuals may be more sensitive, or more caring than some women. In my opinion, only science will be able to identify what is “natural” to each gender. But in the meantime, I think that in the modern world individual men and women can be trained to develop similar abilities. Differences in aptitude and talents are greater at the individual level than at the gender level. (277 words)

Assessment This answer would get a high IELTS band because: it is over the minimum word length it discusses both points of view it clearly states the writer’s opinion and conclusion it has a paraphrased introduction there is a clear structure to the argument good paragraphing makes it easy to follow ideas are supported and developed there are clear links between sentences and paragraphs a god range of language is used with no repetition

Now assess your own essay using the same criteria for assessment