IELTS Writing 5 - Task 2

IELTS Tip

Make sure your handwriting is clear - it doesn't have to be very neat or elegant but you must be sure that a reader can make sense of it. Don't worry about crossing out and rewriting words, as long as the reader can see what you intend.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life.

Which do you consider to be the major influence?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model answer

Today the way we consider human psychology and mental development is heavily influenced by the genetic sciences. We now understand the importance of inherited characteristics more than ever before. Yet we are still unable to decide whether an individual’s personality and development are more influenced by genetic factors (nature) or by the environment (nurture).

Research, relating to identical twins, has highlighted how significant inherited characteristics can be for an individual's life. But whether these characteristics are able to develop within the personality of an individual surely depends on whether the circumstances allow such a development. It seems that the experiences we have in life are so unpredictable and so powerful, that they can boost or over-ride other influences, and there seems to be plenty of research findings to confirm this.

My own view is that there is no one major influence in a person's life. Instead, the traits we inherit from our parents and the situation and experiences that we encounter in life are constantly interacting. It is the interaction of the two that shapes a person's personality and dictates how that personality develops. If this were not true, we would be able to predict the behavior and character of a person from the moment they were born.

In conclusion, I do not think that either nature or nurture is the major influence on a person, but that both have powerful effects. How these factors interact is still unknown today and they remain largely unpredictable in a person’s life.

(250 words)


Dear readers,

This is to inform you that we have moved to a new domain, https://www.ielts-writing.info/EXAM/.

Our old domain, https://www.ielts-exam.net/ will remain active till the time we migrate all our content to the new domain.

We look forward to your continuing support.