Some people believe it is better to import foreign films and TV programs, while others argue that countries should produce their own shows.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Some people believe it is better to import foreign films and TV programs, while others argue that countries should produce their own shows.

Import Foreign Films TV Programs vs Produce Own Shows - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 6.5 · 278 words.

There is an opinion that it is better to bring in overseas movies and TV shows. However, others believe that countries should release their own programs. This essay will discuss both sides of the argument and will explain why I personally think that foreign shows should be demonstrated to the public.

On the one hand, it is a good point that countries should develop a film industry and promote films that have been made in local areas and language. Citizens experience the feelings of fulfilment and even patriotism inside their hearts as they watch shows made in their own hometown. For instance, one of the most popular series "Breaking Bad" which was made in Albuquerque, New Mexico has ranked as the best TV show in USA. For this reason, almost all of the people from New Mexico has watched this show and talk about it with a strong pride.

On the other hand, not every country has the opportunity to make a good-quality film. This industry cannot be as developed as in USA and UK, for example, simply because of the lack of finances. I would argue that people have to be introduced to the important themes and concerns no matter whether it is by local source or not. That is the main reason for importing foreign shows in the first place. For example, the world-known film Titanic" illustrates the significant historical tragedy which everyone should be aware of. To sum up, although it is beneficial for the government to make their own programs and expand local show business, the import of abroad programs is still essential as not all of the countries have enough opportunities for this.

Examiner feedback

The essay is a solid 6.5. It successfully addresses the prompt and maintains a clear viewpoint. To reach Band 7, the candidate needs to improve grammatical precision (particularly articles and subject-verb agreement) and use more natural, academic collocations regarding media and industry.

Task Response - 7

- Addresses all parts of the prompt by discussing both the production of local content and the importation of foreign media. - Presents a clear position in the introduction and conclusion, though the argument for foreign shows could be more nuanced. - Main ideas are relevant, but the support for the 'universal themes' point is a bit thin—mentioning that Titanic is an 'important tragedy' is a slightly weak justification for importing films generally.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information is organized logically with a clear progression from local pride to the practicalities of international imports. - Uses standard cohesive devices effectively (e.g., 'On the one hand', 'For instance', 'To sum up'). - Each paragraph has a clear central topic, though transitions between sentences within the second body paragraph could be smoother.

Lexical Resource - 6

- Uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task (e.g., 'patriotism', 'fulfillment', 'historical tragedy'). - Some collocations are slightly unnatural: 'demonstrated to the public' (broadcast/screened is better) and 'abroad programs' (foreign programs/programs from abroad). - Occasional errors in word formation and phrasing, such as 'lack of finances' instead of 'financial resources' or 'funding'.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 6

- A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used. - Frequent minor errors: 'in USA' (missing 'the'), 'people... has watched' (subject-verb agreement), and 'local source' (should be plural). - Punctuation is generally correct, although there is a missing opening quotation mark for 'Titanic'.

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