GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 171
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many people say that a person’s success is a result of the way they have been brought up by their parents.
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.
Model Answer: [Partial agreement]
Everyone wants to attain success in the endeavour of life, and many people put a person’s success down to the way they have been raised by their parents. In this case, I agree up to a point, but I also believe other crucial factors determine the success of a person.
For a start, parenting plays a prominent role in bringing a person’s success. Parents are able to hold the steering wheel of their children’s lives, providing guidance, support and love along the entire journey, so that their children remain on the right path and are not distracted from reaching their potential. A case in point is Warren Buffett, the renowned business mogul. The business tycoon noted that one thing he is particularly grateful to his parents for was their unrelenting support for whatever he wanted to do. And as a result, he was able to figure out the blueprint of his success through a process of trial and error.
Having said that, there are innate virtues contributing to an individual’s success in life. One of extolling virtues of success is self-improvement mechanism. To err is human, but doing the same mistake time and time again is a dreadful blunder. Successful persons, however, have always a sharp sense to identify the pattern of their mistakes. Whenever they recognize the pattern of a mistake they take initiatives accordingly to prevent the repetition, and they move faster towards success eventually. George Washington Carver is an epitome of successful individuals without parental help. As he famously once said, “self-improvement mechanism is the recipe of my success”. Apart from that, proper education, determination and hard work are also important to achieve successful, especially in this modern era.
To conclude, the success of a person is the outcome of their upbringing, but there are other factors too. Of all success factors, I believe the inborn mechanism of recognizing mistake patterns to be the most important to achieving success in both personal and professional front while education, determination and hard work are also required.