Last Updated: 11th June 2020
GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 101
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
It is a widely held belief that some people are inherently good at certain things, like sports, arts and music for example. However, many people think that a child can acquire the same skill set if they are taught. Personally, I believe that nurturing a child can do miracles as we can mould them to become talented in any arena.
To begin with, innate abilities certainly matter. Some people are born with certain aptitudes, which are advantages for them to foster better than others. To put it another way, a man with inborn talent can acquire proficiency in the field with relatively less effort. Empirical evidence shows that musical prodigies have a natural sense of melody that they can sing a song almost immediately after they listen to the music or song. Take my nephew for an example. He is an authentic prodigy, first appearing with a flute at age five and then winning a national award in music at the age of 14. Likewise, people having aptitude in sport are likely born with a rapid physical response and remarkable endurance. For example, celebrated basketball players are usually tall, thereby they can play more comfortably than their counterparts.
Having said that, children can be taught to obtain skills in sports or music; quite simply, practice makes a man perfect. In simple words, even if somebody is not blessed with an inborn talent for music or sports, they can pursue excellence in these fields through practising really hard. A case in point is Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. We all believe that he was blessed with some prodigious talents in basketball. Despite his natural-born talents, Jordan was cut from his school basketball team. But he did not leave his fate to innate talent alone. Instead, Michael Jordan sharpened them and translated them into skill.
In conclusion, innate talents do not trump always. I believe that extreme practice and dedication can take people far beyond what mere natural aptitude alone can do.