Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic (November, 2015) & Band 9.0 Samples writing band 9 essay - building luck writing band 9 essay - building luck

IELTS Writing Actual Test in November, 2015 & Band 9.0 Argumentative Essay 

Whether or not someone achieve their aims is mostly a question of luck. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Essay 1:

The debate whether luck is the primary determinant of success in achieving targets has been heated constantly. My position is that hard work and determination are far more important than luck, while luck must not be considered as the main precursor of the attainment of one’s goals.

I advocate the notion that the role of being industrious and determined is more significant than luck. Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in the 20th century, is an excellent example of such a notion. He conducted numerous experiments with the filament until the finest light bulb was produced; and his hard work, rather than luck, was acknowledged by all the human race. Another clear evidence of this notion is the case of Nguyen Ngoc Ky. This disabled man could not write by hand, but he was determined enough to teach himself to write by foot. The fact that he would then became one of the greatest teachers in the history of education in Vietnam provides a concrete foundation that even with bad luck, determination could result in goal achievement.

By contrast, I believe the saying that fortune has a major part to play is just a fallacy. One clear reason is that although there may have been a number of people reaching their goals with good luck, such good luck in most cases only comes to people who have worked hard. Take Mendeleev as an example. As a research chemist, he worked tirelessly for a few decades, until one day in his dream, the complete arrangement of the elements appeared. The appearance of this arrangement could be ascribed to luck, but no one could deny the extreme effort that Mendeleev had exerted. Another clear reason for my belief is that luck could only lead people to short-term achievements, and there is nothing to ascertain that it would continue to exist in the long run. The over-reliance on good fortune, as a result, would prevent people from achieving their long-term or life-long aims.

In brief, I think the importance of luck in determining goal attainment is overstated, while there are much more significant factors to consider, namely hard work and determination.

(359 words, written by Tu Pham)

Useful words/phrases:

  • Determine (v) to make something happen in a particular way or be of a particular type.
    ==>Age and experience will be determining factors in our choice of candidate.
  • Conduct (v): to organize and/or do a particular activity.
    ==>to conduct an experiment/an inquiry/a survey
  • Ascribe (v): If you ascribe an event or condition to a particular cause, you say or consider that it was caused by that thing.
    ==>He ascribed his failure to bad luck.


Essay 2:

People have different views about what elements contribute the most to a person’s success. While I accept that luck does have an important role in helping people reach their targets, I would argue that hard work and determination are much more crucial factors leading to the achievement of an individual.

On the one hand, I agree that luck can be an important factor. Some people are fortunate enough to be born in a wealthy family, which allows them to have better education or to easily start their own business without having to borrow money from someone else. As a result, these people tend to have better opportunities to succeed than those coming from poor families. Furthermore, some individuals are lucky to be given great talents which others do not have. For example, Mozart was able to play music when he was very young, or Lionel Messi already had great football skills when he was born.

However, I would argue that although luck can be necessary, it is not the most crucial factor leading to success. Firstly, people need to work really hard and put much effort into their jobs if they want to be successful. For instance, before becoming one of the best football players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo had to go through intense training hours every day for many years. Secondly, a person is less likely to reach his targets if he does not have determination. On the way leading to success, there might be many difficulties, and people need to keep moving forward to overcome those challenges.

In conclusion, while I agree that luck is important in helping people become successful, I believe that hard work and determination are the most important elements.

(286 words, by IELTS Teacher, Quang Thang)


  • determination: the quality that makes you continue trying to do sth even when this is difficult
    ==>He fought the illness with courage and determination.
  • wealthy: having a lot of money, possesions, etc
    ==>a wealthy nation
  • crucial: extremely important  
    ==>a crucial factor/issue/decision

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