Plan this opinion essay about technology with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Calculators, spell-checkers and navigation apps are making people less capable of doing basic tasks for themselves.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Calculators, spell-checkers and satellite navigation have made daily tasks easier, but some argue that they leave people less capable. I agree with this view to some extent, although I think the picture is more balanced than it first appears.
There is clear evidence that reliance on technology weakens certain skills. Students who always use a calculator may struggle to estimate answers or to notice when a result is obviously wrong. Likewise, spell-checkers correct mistakes automatically, so many people no longer learn how words are properly spelt. Navigation apps are an even better example: drivers who follow a voice without looking at the surrounding streets often fail to build a mental map, and they feel helpless when their phone battery dies. Skills that are not practised fade, and technology removes much of the practice.
Nevertheless, it would be wrong to say that people have become less capable overall. These tools free time and mental energy for more demanding work. An engineer who does not calculate figures by hand can concentrate on design problems, and a writer who is relieved of checking every spelling can focus on ideas and structure. In addition, technology allows people to do things that were previously impossible, such as finding their way around an unfamiliar country within minutes of arriving. The skills required have changed rather than disappeared.
The solution is to use technology deliberately. Schools can teach basic arithmetic and spelling before introducing tools, and individuals can occasionally navigate without help.
In conclusion, technology does cause some decline in basic abilities, but it also creates new capabilities. I therefore agree only partly, and I believe balanced use is the sensible answer.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| over-reliance | depending too much |
| basic skills | simple abilities |
| navigation app | phone map and guidance tool |
| spell-checker | tool that corrects spelling |
| mental arithmetic | calculating in the head |
| convenience | ease |
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