IELTS Writing Task 2: a recent question

Here's a recent exam question that was given to me by one of my students:

In some parts of the world it is becoming popular to research the history of one's own family. Why might people want to do this? Is it a positive or negative development?

Try planning some ideas. I'll share mine next week.

Comments

[bilal]

plz any one with free samples of ielts test to be sent on my mail([email protected]) as soon as possible my test will be next saturday//// especially for simon

[Nee]

I wrote In my exam paper. It is absolutely positive development. Family history is an important part of medical record for all medical staves . Before getting married we should ask about it. Finally, our children's behaviour and talent belongs to their family history. I am waiting for my result. There is no drawbacks for asking family history.
Is it correct or no?

[bisma]

It has become increasinly popular these days to figure out your family tree.I personally beleive that it has both negative and positive aspects.
Many people nowadays spend alot of time in mapping out their family tree,because they want to know their ancesters,who were they,where they came from,what was their trade and what they own.Due to advancement in technology it has become easier to search even at internationl scale for your forefathers which makes this search even more interesting.Many people are able to find and meet their relatives and they can share old memories.This also helps in finding the actual heirs of properties left without will by a person without any known relative.
On the other hand,looking back into your past have some drawbacks as well.Firstly,it is a challenging processnot needs alot of time,dedication and resources.it needs evaluation of birth,death,marriage and divorce records.Secondly,many computer softwares and firms which helps in figuring out your family tree and provide possible data costs alot of money.Finally,sometimes this long, time consuming process results in confusing and false results which may cause dissapointment.
In conclusion,despite of the fact that it is a difficult and time cosuming process, looking into your family history unfolds many intersting facts about your heritage.

[Aygul]

What is the format of this essay? Is it two part or positive ,negative development. I am asking because there are two questions.

[Muayad]

I am confused with the structure, shall we answer both questions or we talk about the positives and / or negatives?

[Liliana]

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in tracing one’s roots. There are several reasons that justify these curiosities and, in my opinion, people’s interest in their genealogy has a positive effect on their evolution.

There are several factors that motivate people to gather information about their predecessors. Firstly, they may want to get to know their ancestors as people. For example, they may try to find out what kind of jobs they had, or whether they were rich or poor. Secondly, people may want to collect information about their predecessors for posterity. This could help their children to understand themselves better by travelling back in time. Finally, individuals may choose to dig up their family tree to learn about their roots, about who they are.

In my view, being aware of the history of one’s family has a positive impact on his development. Searching for information about our predecessors can be a wonderful journey of discovery. People can find out exciting details about their family history. For instance, they may find out that one of their ancestors was a king, or occupied another important position. Furthermore, individuals may get to know some relatives of whose existence they did not know before. This way they could expand their family by developing a close relationship with the persons they just met. Also, people can have a completely new outlook on life, they may see things from a different perspective, a more positive one.

In conclusion, there are various factors that influence people’s decision to investigate the history of their family. In my view this can be extremely beneficial for their personal development.

[uma]

@liliana
you have excelent ideas

[Ebi Tahasoni]

Genealogy is not a new field and people, especially the noble class, have always been keen on knowing more about the history of their families and ancestors. However, it has enjoyed more popularity over the past years with many ordinary people, especially in the western world, trying to clarify their family trees; a trend I personally disapprove of.

One reason why many people are curious about their family history these days is that it is often fun to trace back one’s blood line and find out if one is related to any famous people. I remember a recent story about how a common supermarket clerk in Nevada was discovered to be a descendent of a British king. Many such descendants live completely ordinary lives, to which a discovery like that can bring many thrills. Additionally, it would definitely be help people to realise how their families have changed through the years and therefore, learn a thing or two about the causes of failure and prosperity of different generations.

However, many individuals who find themselves related to the nobility tend to consider tiny shares of noble blood as birth right to more respect. They, for instance, often demand seats in public transport when there are more deserving people like pregnant women or the elderly aboard. Apart from that, some of them might overgeneralise the role of factors which have contributed to a former generation’s condition, be it inherited wealth or even bad luck, to their own and disregard the value of one’s own ideas and current status.

In conclusion, I am not sure if the growing trend towards researching one’s ancestors and family line is actually helping people and the society in general, and believe it must be discouraged.

[Liliana]

Thank you uma. I hope I won't lose my inspiration until this coming Saturday when my test is due! :)

[Helen ESL]

This is a 2 part essay. Both questions should be addressed equally.

[Aria]

It is true that many people, particularly in developed world used to study their family tree or look back to their ancestry’s track. There could be some intentions for this trend and I consider it an interesting practice.

There are some reasons why it could be argued that people search their own family history. Firstly, many people want to find more about the origin of their family or clan. In this way they know more about the place and circumstances that upon that their ancestors lived. A second reason for tracking back the family’s history, and is more applicable for immigrant families, could be discovering of the motives behind their immigrations. Finally, some people search their historical existence just to satisfy their curiosity and know more about to whom they are related or where they come from.

I believe that knowing family history can be interesting in some ways. It can help us to predict some health issues which are common in some races. For example, some diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or a muscular disease called Duchenne have a predilection for those with European Ashkenazi Jewish origin. Another positive impact of this practice is that people from some racial or ethnic group have a specific talent for particular sport or practice. To take an example, people with African origin have good athletic performances or those who have their origin in gypsy ethnicity are very keen musicians.

In conclusion, there are various reasons that people track their family’s origin and in my opinion this is a good and useful interest.

261 words
Band ?

[Liliana]

Aria, I would say: 'A second reason for tracking back the family’s history, WHICH IS more applicable for immigrant families, could be discovering of the motives behind their immigration.'

[ashik]

In my point of view both has positive and negative aspects.Although now a days it is re-searchable.After married People produce more child and it is a great problem for a family.First of all i think they are not concentrated population.Second of all they should think their child career whether they will given support or not in future.

[Liliana]

Ashik, that must be the answer to another question or I just didn't get it...

[hellcha]

Why the trend is becoming popular:

- Families are the basic unit of a society and a nation
- Studying a typical family can give some ideas about the historical, cultural and social context of a society, community and even a country.
- Studying one's family can help supplement the research on a nation's history.
- People need to study a family if it had great influence to the society or country at that time
- They need to find out about how the family was made and how it affected the society then.
- For example, people tend to do research on a monarch's lineage because it is one major factor that shaped the nation before.

The trend is negative to me, personally:

- Money should be spent on more alarming issues nationally and globally at the present
- In some parts of the world, it is the most crucial to spend money on education, healthcare or entertainment.
- This raises the standard of living and overall welfare of people, contributing to making a better world, which is the ultimate goal of human beings.
- Money could be spent on science because this leads to the advancement in technology and make life more convenient.
- A country comprises of many types of family from a variety of classes and backgrounds.
- Studying some stereotypical families will result in little knowledge.
- The way a nation operates is determined by many factors.
- External elements such as war, natural calamities or migration waves also play an important role.
- These factors cannot be studied by looking at some families but rather need a thorough research.

Here are just my ideas. Please point out any mistakes for me if any.

Thanks

[maha]

In the developed world, people seem more interested than ever to find out about their ancestors, for various reasons. In my opinion, advantages and disadvantages of this trend are equally important.

On the one hand, knowing about one's family lineage is considered helpful in various perspectives, such as ,medical, social or economical, and for similar reasons people want to know about it. All thanks to the internet, as by providing a wide pool of information it has become easier to search for a family tree. From medical point view, it helps us to be aware of certain medical conditions which are proven to be genetically-linked, for example, diabetes, asthma , obesity and various other diseases. By understanding our genetic make-up, it provides us an opportunity for an early lifestyle intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of these diseases. In addition, it might be useful for someone to discover that he or she is a potential heir to some valuable asset or position.

On the other hand, it also has few negative sides attached to it. Firstly, sometimes, it may trigger undue anxiety and restlessness by alarming about some genetically-inheritable conditions which we may not acquire in our life. Secondly, it can provoke the idea of supremacy and prejudice- as some people start to believe that they are socially superior in society, when they learn the fact that their forefathers were privileged because of their bravery or social status. Finally, I believe that it may waste our time and energy in learning about the facts of those who are deceased, which otherwise we can utilise to explore and maximize our own talents.

In conclusion, I believe that learning about our family tree has both negative and positive effects, depending upon the time and effort we spend on it.

I would welcome any comments or improvements! And
could anyone suggest a score plzzzzzzzzz.

[NVL]

Why they want to do this?
- Because after marrying, the young parents can define the development of their children in the future...
- To predict the health issue, and people will decide whether they should marry or give up.
- To building good behaviours in the in-law relationships
Negative or positive?
Positive:
+ Prevent the cousin marriage
+ Recruiter can have an exact overview and decide whether select the applicants or not
Negative:
- There may be the distinguishable problems
- Maybe the barriers for lovers who want to marry

[phranklie]

Yes that was exactly what I saw in the IELTS test I took last week

[saikiran]

Hi Simon,
Please find my essay and help in assessing my band level for the essay.

Some people in certain parts of the world might believe that it is waste of time trying to know the ancestors and doing research about their own families.However,there is many people who criticize against to it.

For variety of reasons people would support the statement that it is good to do research about ancestors.Primarily it helps to know exciting things about ancestors for example like the works the used to do for earning.Secondly,how well they managed their lives and helped he next generations for a better life.Finally how the relations were maintained and how their ancestors dealt in their good olden times.

In my opinion it is better to spend more time and fetch as much as details possibles which helps the traditions followed and the reasons our ancestors biased to for a better understanding of their lives.It also helps to understand the nature of ancestors and also we can bring in light, if any good things achieved such as charity to poor people or a freedom fighter and some creative skills they possess Which might be ignored due to today's busy life.This also helps us to understand how the transformation took place from our ancestors to modern age.This research also helps us to get new contacts and new people might not be in contact or come across in daily life.

In conclusion ,rather than considering research on ancestors is waste of time and money. It is good to spend some time and money and gain valuable information of past and use to build good relations in modern world.

[IELTS taker on the road]

Maha your essay is great. Lexical resources and variety of grammar are already reach 8, as well as coherent and cohesion that I cannot score them less than 7.5. But one thing that catches my eye is a ready perhaps cannot find out your side easily, as you at the second paragraph mentioned "Finally, I believe that it may waste our time and energy in learning about the facts of those who are deceased, which otherwise we can utilise to explore and maximize our own talents" that one thinks that you don't agree with exploring the history of a family. You tend to write in an abstract way that probably makes I difficult to finish it within 40 minutes. Try to provide more examples based on your own experience and ideas.
All in all , I think this essay can achieve 8 band score.

[maha]

IELTS TEST TAKER ,,,,, I'm grateful for your feedback. Well, you are quite right about being 'Abstract' ,honestly I couldn't manage to give any examples for that in a short span of time. BUT , i did write something in quite detail for the first para, but then I deleted it as my essay was getting just over 315 words, and SOME people don't like that , I also agree with that!
""In addition,some psychiatric conditions like clinical depression run in the families, on encountering stressful situations such people are prone to develop clinical depression. But, by understanding one's inherited emotional lability, the person would might want to avoid any conflicts or ordeals ,in anticipation."" Would that sort of example be OK? ( does it sound relevant?)

Thank you very much once again!!

(Well,I do not personally think that learning about ancestors is wasteful, in fact it's the quite opposite what I believe. But, I have felt that perhaps some people do it to feel good about themselves- to take some sort of pride in their lineage as they enjoy discussing it with others.They seem to be more interested to find out about their positions, ranks or achievements rather than to learn their good character traits. Otherwise I strongly believe that there is a lot to learn from how our forefathers lived , but mere learning is not enough until we truly apply it in our own lives ).

[lana]

Hi all,

please do,you know a good college or course center in London for IELTS ?please advice me with one.

Many thanks,

[Aria]

@Liliana
Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I really appreciate it.

[ttrung]

that's a good essay of maha, i think that many students could study from your essay. thank you very much and hope that you could post other essay for everyone can study.
did you have a best ielts score?

[Mahsa POURANAYATI]

Dear Simon,
I appreciate the time that you are going to send on my writing and provide feedback for me. I need to get overall band 7.5 and no less than 7.0.

Regards,
Mahsa

These days people are becoming more keen to explore more about their personal family history by running researches. These might be due to a variety of reasons, but I think he main one could be raising their awareness about their own ancestors and possible achievements.

Researching the history of own family could help individuals to develop their information about own demographic and culture backgrounds. This also includes any achievements, victories, discoveries or even simply the unique safeguard. Some people specially are looking for this information to prove a family history of achievements to other or could be just for the pure purpose of self-esteem.

This type of research has its own pros and cons. One of the benefits of this type of research is that people respect their own culture and family traditions and this leads to bring unity and joy among them. However, it is a substantial time consuming process and waste of money and human resources which in fact could be invested in different fields such as economic, science, agriculture and so on. This benefits majority of people in the society. For example, investing money in a small business to create more job opportunities rather than to purely spend on primarily personal purpose research type. Additionally, this kind of research may result in discriminations and disparities among people in the community. For instance, a manager of small business does not choose a person because of the family history of arguments between his or her family and the employers ` family.

In summary, I think it is more productive if the money and energy are consumed in the areas that have more collective outcomes rather than being purely personalised. (280 words)

[Alwab]

Hey Maha, thank you so much for such a wonderful essay. Your response is very precise, and there is a good range of words and thoughts.

Cheers!

[maha]

I'm THANKFUL to all those who have sent words encouragement !

[maha]

" words of encouragement"

[Simon]

FROM SIMON:

A quick tip:

I would call the above question a "2-part question". I would write one main paragraph answering the first question (Why might people want to do this?), then a separate main paragraph explaining my opinion about whether it is a positive OR negative development. I would choose ONE view for this paragraph - it doesn't ask you to explain both the positives and negatives. I would say that it's a positive development.

[NP]

Researching family tree has been increasing its popularity nowadays, particularly developed countries, with several different purposes. Personally, I agree that study deep roots of our ancestors would be benefit to their posterity and other in general.

For variety of reasons, wisely searching and studying in our ancestors’ history would give us more fully detail in interested field. Firstly, in medical field, tracing pedigree to diagnose genetic-related illness or surveillance some concealed disease in sibling or relative is mandated. Not only diagnosis purpose but also mainly for family counseling which vitally concern in family planning and figure out index cases. Secondly, in case of deceased case with no sibling who leave their property behind, it is essential to find out the heirs to inherit their belonging and take responsibility for their body. Finally, to know deeply in our blood line would make the descendants to proud with their predecessors, knowing how their families become more successful and how they are growing up.

In my opinion, it is clearly see the positive prospect of digging up family roots. As previously mentioned, for detection and prevention of genetic related disease or any diseases that run through their blood line and could pass through generation by generation. Additionally, it could identify relative for pass away predecessor who need the young one to run their possessions. Last but not least, let them proud and grateful in their own dignity of ancestors.

In conclusion, there are plenty of reasons for tracing their bloodline and I believe that positivity of this study is obviously seen.
(264)

[Omar Almotery]

Hello Mahsa POURANAYATI

I’m trying to make comments at your essay. First, let me start with the big issue. Lack of planning. It seems that you got lost and didnt know where you should go. I think that all appear when you didn’t set time to planning. Simon's approach to deal with this is a great method, I really like all of them, as they are very clear and help us to not get confused when writing.
Here are some feedbacks:

Today people are becoming keen to explore their family history by doing some research about their past. There are many reasons why people do so, but I think the main one would be ( give reasons)…
I changed your introduction, as I really do not know what do you mean by “ raising awareness” is knowing family past dangerous then people should be aware of?

Tracing family tree could help individuals to collect information about their culture backgrounds, including any achievements, heritage and origin of ancestors. Besides, some people are looking for this information simply to prove their family history which might have some attainments in the past. They in fact tend to be proud of this heritage.

For the second body paragraph, as Simon says try to choose one then develop it. I can see you have some problems with coherence and cohesion, as I’ve already said try to make your understood. Unfortunately, I’m running time and should go.

[Ariel]

Bisma your essay is great!
Nice ideas , strong opinion

[maha]

But, Simon , what if someone gives a balanced (sort of) opinon for a question like this. Will it affect our score?

Regards

[ziaul huda]

Ideas-
1-To carry out study about our for fathers is a best way to adapt the culture and customs in the society we live.
2-People should do research about their ansterers in order to safeguard themselves from various fatal diseas.
3-Being aware of the family history makes us pride ourself.

[laith]

Hi guys. Please I need help. My friend told if I wanna get high score in writing section I must use high rang of vocabularies and she said I must avoid some words and using other. Such as
Important= crucial
Change= alter
Rich = affluent
Disadvantages=drawbacks
And others. Is that true

[Dr Zahid Khan]

A large number of people are becoming more interested and involved in tracing the roots of their families and ancestors due to a number of reasons. I think this is a positive development due to a number of factors which I am going to elaborate below.

Firstly, it’s of utmost importance for an individual to know his proper origin in today’s ethnically diverse world and this in turn might help them to come to terms with their proper origin. For example. Afghans are basically Aryans however throughout the history, there is no reliable source to confirm their proper origin. Some books refer their origin to Israel while others to Germans who are also basically Aryans and most scholars and researchers agree on the German background.

Secondly, people of certain origin are at greater risk of certain inherited as well as non-inherited diseases so it’s also going to be of medico-legal help to them. The information gathered can help in deciding their future lives and the lives of their kids. For example if somebody finds to be of Greek origin, then he is at a greater risk of certain blood diseases and he can select a proper life partner under such circumstances.

Finally, tracing ones roots is not an easy task and it needs devotion as well as huge sum of money according to some critics but finding one’s roots worth the cost in my personal opinion.

In conclusion, I believe that tracing one’s roots or origin is a positive development and we may find some interesting and important facts by tracing our roots.

[maha]

How far we trace back our roots...., eventually it would all go back to "Adam and Eve", and that's where the idea of Egalitarianism stems from.
But, as a matter of fact , feeling superior or distinguished always fantasizes the mankind.

[Maria]

Dear simon ,

I really would like to know that different parts of the world have different IELTS questions , is that right ?
i'm gonna take IELTS test tomorrow.
i'm really nervous now since i don't have enough time to prepare for exam.

[Mahsa POURANAYATI]

Hey Omar Almotery,
Thanks you so much for your feedback. It really help me. Would you give me the link to Simon's approach for planning please? And also what do yo think about my grammar? Is it good enough?

Cheers,

Mahsa

[Salem Farhmand]

Hi Laith!
yeah as far as all we know,having high rang of vocabulary can really assist us to score high bands
this is the advice of most IELTS instructors that I have read so far.
hey guys am I right???

[bonnie]

In recent years, there has been growing interest in one’s family history for many people in the world. There are a number of reasons for the investigation of one’s ancestry. In my opinion, the benefits of doing this outweigh the drawbacks.

Firstly, information about one’s family history allows a person to trace family medical conditions. By noticing patterns of disorder among relatives, healthcare professionals can determine whether an individual, other family members or future generations may be at an increased risk of developing a particular condition. Secondly, migrants who have separated from their families might want to find out about the history of their ancestors, therefore building a sense of identity of who they are and where they come from. Thirdly, people who feel responsible to preserve the past for future generations can best do this by researching family history.

Understanding family history can have considerable benefits. For example, awareness of family health history can help individuals to make lifestyle changes and take preventive measures based on their risks. This can open up doors of communication about health conditions that may not have been previously talked about. Additionally, tracing back in the histories of migrant families can help migrants to build connections with their homeland. This is especially true for children of migrants raised in the parents’ adopted countries to develop ties to the customs and traditions of the parental home country. Furthermore, people who have knowledge of their family histories are more likely to show higher levels of social and emotional health. This is because family stories offer lessons about life experiences of older generations that help teens shape their identities.

In conclusion, the search of family history can be motivated by many reasons. In my opinion, it is evident that individuals can benefit enormously from this process.

Feedback appreciated!

[kinjal jinal]

It has always being in controversial to look back into history of family or just live in present life.

On the one hand, there are several merits to find out the roots of family history. For instance, one can find out inherited medical or congenital disorders, so it is necessary to go through the family history before marriage to detect heriditory disease like thalessemia, lukemia, HIV, diabetus mallitus, down syndrome etcetara.

on the other hand one can know about what there ancestors are: from where they were? what were the trade and tradition they followed? Throug discovery of past history we come across any mysterious tressure and will. We can get idea about how rich they were in their time and also find out if any of our predecessors were from King family or not. We can collect information regarding our ancestors for our prosterity. Today's generation are ample of enthusiastic to know about their family tree for their personality development.

On the contrary, to look back into family history is very time consuming, demanding and challenging. So today's hectic life is not so suitable to get exect and real depth of hide history of family and its heirloom. Sometime it may be prooven as useless and wastage of precious time.

In nutshell I would like to share here that it is depends on an individuals thinking and situation that to look back for family roots or remain in present.

[Omar Almotery]

Hello MAHSA,

I'm glad that you found it useful. I think it would be better you set a certain time to planning as Simon does here in this video. You know the more our ideas are complicated the more likely we make mistakes both in coherence and grammar. So my idea is to go with simple idea to back it up with better reasons.
About your grammar, I should say grammar is not only "subject-verb agreement", and work on collocation would be of great help, although it is clear that you know grammar. I think to make sure that you get band score 7 try to make a few mistakes in every paragraph as Simon says, then pick up those sentences that you're already sure about them, not complicated ones. Hope I was of help.
(http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2014/01/ielts-writing-task-2-perfect-society-essay-plan.html)
cheers,

[wala`a]

in some countries people research their families histories. i find that a positive developement.
researching about history is useful in learning from the past. from history we can study others trials and avoid their mistakes.
sometimes knowing others histories help in how to deal with them in the present.

[sami]

hi
please tell me any resource from where i could get some information about this topic . hence could be able to make some points to write an essay on this topic.

[Mahsa POURANAYATI]

Dear Omar Almotery,

Thank you so much, all of your suggestion are perfect.

Regards,
Mahsa

[Angelica]

Dear Simon,
I saw this type of question in some test'Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?'

Can you give us some suggestions to write introduction and conclusion of this kind of question?

Best Regards,
Angelica

ps. Here is the complete question.
-----------------------------------------
Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign laguage at primary school rather than secondary school.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

[amin]

Hello Mahsa,

Im looking someone to practise IELTS material, if you like it, leave a message on YM!(amin_unic)

Regards,

[Khan]

People’s Curiosity to know about their pedigree is one of the controversial topic since the dawn of time. However, the interest ratio varies from one region to other of the globe.

To begin with, three kinds of research have been identified to show the individual’s interest. Firstly, in some areas people are getting financial advantages from Government. For instance, in America, if one provides some evidence for his being a Native American that he can get a lot of benefits from government schemes. As a result, Genealogy has become one of the expensive business because public is going for DNA test to prove their relationship with particular tribes. The Second category belongs to the community, who are keen interested in nobility. For example, history showed that Queen Boleyn has no descendent legally but still many people have been claiming their bloodline connection with her because she had so many illegitimate children. This Royal relationship may be comes up with some accolades or bring superiority in a communal society. Similarly, third category of public merely wants to know their ancestor’s Culture, traditions, customs, living style and so on.

In my point of view, to know your ancestor’s history may contribute numerous benefits. Firstly, all genetic medical diseases are easily detectable, and precautions can be taken at an earlier basis. For Instance, Breast Cancer is usually diagnosed in women at third degree. In contrast to this, it is easily curable if diagnosed at an early stage; which is only possible when someone is familiar with the past medical history of his family. Likewise, diabetes, blood pressure, Arthritis and blood kind of illness can be controlled in the light of family history. Last but not least, almost every family has some secret and motivational stories from bloodline, which can bring encouragement to younger generation.

In conclusion, everything has two sides but merits outweigh than demerits. Thus, everyone should garner the information about their ancestor.

[ziaul huda]

Hai, Simon
Can t write- working out family past as a similar phrase- to do research on family history.

[Ali]

There are several reasons why people might want to research their family history. The main reason for this is that many people are curious about their ancestors and their life stories. For example, some people are interested in finding out where their ancestors originally lived and why they would move to a certain country as migrants. Another reason is that it is often a fun and exciting experience to track the family tree. It sometimes creates a strong sense of belonging within decedents of a family. Finally, some people look into their family history for medical purposes.

[guo]

I wrote words more than 290 when finishing this essay. The problem is that I cannot control myself to concisely write essays. Do I have some problems in my essay below?

It is true that many people prefer to study the history of their own families. There are various reasons for this, and it has the positive development as well as the drawbacks.

There are three reasons why searching the history of their families is so popular. Firstly, many people are interested in finding out their ancestors and where they were originally from, and many people like to search such information in order to know whom they are. Secondly, this kind of research is similar to a job which many historians have been doing to research the history of country. It is better for all civilians to understand their own traits that are different from others. Finally, no matter a country or a family which has its own culture and heritage needs to be studied and handed it over to its descendants.

On the one hand, such kind of research has a positive development for people to find the history of their families. Family names, for example, are the symbol of a family and what the special meaning it has. This is quite interesting for those who want to find the root of their family. On the other hand, this kind of research is a waste of time for most people as they should look at the future and the root of a family cannot help them to create fortune and knowledge. Spending time on acquire skills or academic qualifications would be more significant than researching the history of a family.

In conclusion, there are good reasons for the popularity of research the history of one’s family, but spending too much time on studying this would be negative.

[Atif]

I believe that tracing the family history can help us in many ways to conduct our lives, not just so, but can also help to know and understand our own selves by providing us clues our potential ' personality traits'.
I certainly DO NOT support the argument that making fortune and academic qualifications should be the norms, or should be the centre of our attention, as many critics have started to believe. Life is a far more complex subject than it seems to be, so I would argue that studying genealogy helps us to understand our genotype and that explains a causative relationship to our various differences.
However, the only point that i was trying to make , that sometimes it may lead us to believe in certain kind of prejudices and segregation, 'secretly' .

[Atif]

hi, dear Simon . I have written a paragraph , can i score a good score on this. Please help ,thank you.

[teja raj]

Few answers of 26th july 2014 which i remembered.
Listening1:
conference
wedding
meat
cook
noisy
steps
Listening4:
garden
diversity
tissue
migration
digestive

WRITING TASK 2:
Ambition is seen as a positive quality to the people in a society.
how it is important to get success in life?
Is it a positive or negative quality ?

[Rose]

Hi I would like to tell about that researching the one's family is good as wlle as drawback too.In the new generation would like to know their forefathers where they come from and what was their occupation and what kind of life they lived and what was their culture.And are there to know about the heirs of the family.there are some example a boy was left alone when the family met with an accident he was wandering in the road when a stimulation from environment that some one was saying that about the father forefather the boy stared to research about his family and got back all his property. Also researching helps in medical treatment. Avoiding seebling marriage. And this helps in findinggood thing aabout family and live according to family culture. As draw back is some people are leving in society as popular stares may their forefathers are not that mach good are they lived as criminals so this may disturb their present life .so I like to concluded this by saying it is good and draw back in researching one's family history.thanks if there is anything to improve pls tell me

[Jenny]

Thank you for the topic. How would you assess this essay I wonder?
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It cannot be denied that in quite a few regions of the world people are getting quite interested in studying their family history. They are ready to send numerous letters to all kinds of officials to find out peculiar facts about their relatives and predecessors and complete their family trees. What can be the reasons for this interest? Is this a positive trend, or are there any hidden hazards underlying it? This essay will try to deal with the questions.
So, let us have a look at some factors that might have boosted people’s desire to know their past. One of them must be a noticeable improvement in the quality of life, which has somehow lightened the burden of daily struggle for board and lodging and freed some time for such a research. Another factor could be the fear of losing the understanding of oneself, which has become quite a possibility since people stopped keeping records of their personal history. Finally, the growth in the interest we are talking about may be down to one’s pride to a certain extent. In other words, people are eager to feel and seem more important than they really are and therefore they are looking for ‘historical proofs’ of their importance.
Still, what ever the causes might be like, let us try to evaluate the evolving trend and its impact on the individual. Personally, I do not see anything hazardous in researching one’s past and collecting information about predecessors. I even believe this maybe quite a useful undertaking, especially for the young generation, which really lacks proper food for thought, taking into consideration what is offered by modern mass-media. To add to this, research of any kind definitely has a positive impact on one’s analytical skills and intelligence level. Moreover, a proper understanding of predecessors’ strengths and weaknesses might help one choose their life path more wisely. However, when studying the past of our family, we must be ready to discover unpleasant facts, too, and be able to adequately react to such disappointments.
To resume, nowadays there is a nearly global trend to research the past of one’s family, which may be explained by the desire to understand oneself, increase one’s self-esteem and just by a larger amount of free time. However, there is nothing to fear about this trend, as it will only help people to spend their time usefully and make more beneficial choices in life.

[OM]

Jenny your writing is great, you didn't bother with some pompous words, although at the first glance maybe sound a little bit informal. It's good to tell us about how long have you been studying for IELTS, some tips here would be useful as all we are aiming for one thing

[Hong Uyen]

I'm get stucked with the only discussion essay ( advantages and disadvantages). Can you give an an essay example of this type of question?

[rene]

I took the exam. This was my writing task 2 question. Ambition is seen as a positive quality to the people in a society. How it is important to get success in life? Is it a positive or negative quality?

I wrote this essay as far as I remembered. Please let me know what is the estimate score of my writing.

In today's world, ambition is a crucial character for some people in their communities. Some people think that it brings a good impact to achieve a successful life. Apropos of this statement, I am in consummate accord with it.

First of all, there are various reasons why ambition is an important character for a successful life. One of the reasons is to develop motivation. When some people have ambitions, most likely they are encouraged to achieve their ambition. This means that ambition is a motivating factor to become successful in life. Another equally important reason is that it becomes a way for some people to provide their needs. For instance, our world dictates that we need to be competitive in some areas such as businesses, academics, jobs and so on in order to provide our needs. Some people are doing a lot of strategies to compete with other businesses in order to sell their products. Some people are studying hard in their schools to gain scholarships. Most of all, some people are working very hard to be promoted so that they can earn a big salaries. These all boils down to the fact that some people have ambitions in order to be successful in life. As a result, they can provide their needs.

On the other hand, some people are nonchalant about the importance of ambition in a successful life. They think that some people want something beyond their capacities. If they can't achieve what they want, it could lead to depression. However, given the benefit of the doubt that some people have depression because they fail to achieve their ambitions, this is just a drop in a bucket. It means that if some people fail to achieve their ambitions, most likely they gain more motivation to achieve their ambitions and become successful in life than otherwise.

In conclusion, I believe that ambition is an important factor to become successful in life, albeit others think otherwise. I say so because it is a motivating factor and a means to provide some people's needs. Above all,it has a good impact to some people.

[Raju]

can somebody comment on my introduction paragraph for this essay?

Nowadays, the trend of tracing the family history is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world. This quest is primarily aimed to learn about one's existence in the past.I completely agree with this idea.

[Phuong Nguyen]

It is true that people seem more interested than ever to find out about their ancestors. In some parts of the world, this trend is becoming prevailing for various different reasons.

To begin with, health problem is one of the main reason for researching family’s history, particularly in developed countries. This is because they realised their past can affect the health of their future and maybe help save family member’s life. For example: a man died of cancer, but his brother, sister all died of heart attacks. His descendants may have the same genetic markers and are acquired these diseases. For many cultures, people just want to know about themselves and their roots to show the respect for their ancestors. In my country, people often build a big house in the land of their ancestors as a place of worship the forefather.

In general, tracing family history is a positive development. At first, it is a nice way to spend free time when people try to understand about their roots. It is also a good talking topic with family and friends. In several cases, many people can find out and have a chance to meet their stray family members. It is also a good way to teach children about how earlier generations lived.Vietnamese children are always taught to remember the original point, to respect the ancestors.

In conclusion, there are variety reasons for researching a person’s roots. In my point of view, it is positive to understand about our family history.

[Hashimi]

In todays world, it is no doubt to true that a considerable number of people search and tries to find their ancestors. People finds it fascinating to trace their family and I believe this process gives an amazing experience and I consider it to be a very positive trend.
There could be several reasons for the trace and search of the family. First of all, it is very popular to search families and people interest with this process as a hobby. As a matter of fact, the Internet makes it easier to do this research moreover even some enterpreneurs started to make business related to this interest on some of the websites. Secondly, people always want to know where they come from and information of their ancestors. And other motivations to encourage people to searc their ancestors could be they might hope that they have a famous or wealthy ancestor.
It is obvious that following the trace of family has become quite popular which compared with other hobbys such as collecting stamp or sea shells etc. Thus it may considered as a beneficial way to spend free time and it may have a good function to talk about. It is also a good way to teach children about history and how earlier generations lived. For example kids may learn who is their grand grand father and how they live. Moreover, we may even find long-lost family members or distant relatives that we might have the chance to meet.
In conclusion, people find interesting to search their family and I truly believe that it has a good way to improve individuals. (270)

[Iman Heydari]

There has been a tendency among people to conduct numerous researches on their family backgrounds. This trend has caught on of late, and more and more people are trying to follow suit. I believe that searching in family history will be to the benefit of the whole family and one can benefit from the outcomes in varieties of fields, such as decision-making and medics.

One reason to explain why people are inclined to learn about the history of their families is that they are curious to know the people of their acquaintances and examine how they were like and what they did. There is even a chance, though a little, to find ancestors who are still alive. Numerous stories have been told in which a family chanced upon the father or mother of their grandparents via their determined searches in history. Furthermore, with the growth of genetics-based knowledge, people tend to perceive of the origins of their behaviors and understand how their grandparents have formed their demeanor and habits. A man, for instance, can search for his family history and unexpectedly realize that his unpleasant habit of being untidy around house comes from his father’s attitude, who always had uncluttered room.

Even though some people believe that searching in history is futile, there can be numerous benefits in it. For one, by searching in the history of their families, people can learn about their families’ decisions and opinions about life and events. They can pick up how to react to current issues and tackle problems by carrying out a simple search in the history and weigh up the pros and cons of each course of action. Secondly, doctors can benefit greatly from the history and origin of diseases in people who have conducted researches on their forefathers. For example, if a person finds out that his grandfather has been suffering from diabetes for quite a long time in the past, he will keep a wary eye on his own health and take safety measures into consideration in order to avoid being infected.

All summed up, people are believed to be enthusiastic in finding about their history due to their curiosity and their own good in rooting out their habits and attributing them to their relatives. I think this is a worthwhile and beneficial approach and should be encouraged.

[Pooja prabhakar]

Plz let me know hoe i can get my essay checked.

[Pooja prabhakar]

What is exact answer of this esaay. Plz help me.