Academic Writing - Task 2 (Model answer)

People who have original ideas (e.g. people who invent or discover things) are of greater value to society than people who are simply able to copy the ideas of others well. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Society has been able to progress through inventions and new discoveries. We have been able to use the natural resources available for our benefit and without the invention of important products such as telecommunication items, electricity etc. our lives would be considerably more difficult today.

Entrepreneurs, designers and other creative people are valuable to society and are remembered long after they are gone. Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. for example designed a range of products that revolutionized the way we use computers and listen to music. For this reason his death was discussed all over the world. Successful inventors create an efficient and effective world and their genius is appreciated by the end user.

China is known for its ability to copy other people’s products. The advantage of this is that consumers have access to items that are similar to branded ones at a cheaper price . So in this case those who are looking for a bargain will appreciate the ability of the Chinese to imitate the ideas of the rest of the world. Copying the creativity of others does however mean that a person limits their own possibilities of producing anything new.

In my opinion, creativity is a positive trait in a person as they are able to look at the world from a different perspective and give society a fresh image. On the other hand, those who copy are not using their skills to a maximum capacity and are more than likely to be imitating because they are unable to create something new. This copying trend benefits mass production.

Question taken from New Insights Workbook p.66