Research Indicates That the Characteristics We are Born With Have Much More Influence On Our Personality – IELTS Writing Task 2

Given below is a real IELTS Writing Part 2 Essay question. We have provided sample essays as well as an essay outline so that you can practise writing your own!

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Read the sample essay for Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life. Which do you consider to be the major influence?

Sample Essay 1

It is irrefutable that people’s characteristics and features are god-given. Some researchers emphasize that an individual’s personality highly depends on inborn characteristics compared to other life experiences. However, in my view, I believe that life experiences substantially impact an individual’s personality.

It is undoubtedly true that everyone is born with unique hereditary characteristics, and some features are passed from generation to generation. But these inborn traits are subject to change. For instance, some people are born with an easy-going character, but with time, such people may change due to the experiences and struggles they face in their life. Similarly, short-tempered and narrow-minded people may experience any life event and change their views in due course of time. An introvert may not remain so for a long time if he’s under the influence of an extrovert or a talkative person.

Life experiences significantly affect people’s personalities, and traits keep changing. The most influential factor is the environment, which plays an essential role in an individual’s personality development. Here, environment refers to the surrounding where individual experiences or witnesses major life events or things. Moreover, an individual learns a lot from the environmental experiences that change their outlook towards life. For example, an accident may affect a person’s life in a way that their perspective towards life will change forever. Thus, the surrounding environment has the ability to alter the inborn traits in an individual.

Even though genetic characteristics affect an individual’s identity to a certain extent, an individual’s environment and life experiences have a greater impact on their personality development.

To sum up, I’m of the opinion that life experiences play an indispensable role in a person’s life and I consider that they have major consequences on our personality development and character-building than our innate characteristics.

Vocabulary

• Emphasize

Meaning: give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing.

Eg: The author emphasized the story of Moses in his book.

• Unique

Meaning: being the only one of its kind.

Eg: A unique piece of jewellery was displayed in the showroom.

• Inborn

Meaning: existing from birth

Eg: Some qualities are inborn, while others can be learned.

• Easy-going

Meaning: relaxed and tolerant in attitude or manner.

Eg: I love hanging out with my boss, he’s an easy-going person.

• Narrow-minded

Meaning: not willing to accept opinions, beliefs, behaviours, etc. that are unusual or different from one’s own

Eg: John’s father is a narrow-minded person who will not accept his inter-caste marriage.

• Traits

Meaning: a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person.

Eg: Identical twins have similar traits.

• Outlook

Meaning: a person’s point of view or general attitude to life.

Eg: The accident changed John’s outlook towards life.

• Impact

Meaning: a marked effect or influence

Eg: The teacher had a great impact on students.

• Innate

Meaning: inborn, natural

Eg: Rose has an innate sense of humour just like her mother.

Outline

Essay Type

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Sentence 1: According to the research, genetic characteristics have a major influence on the personality and development of an individual than personal experiences in life.

Sentence 2: However, I believe that life experiences play an important role and they significantly impact an individual’s development.

Body

Paragraph 1: Everyone is born with some hereditary characteristics, but they change in the course of time.

Paragraph 2: Lifetime experiences significantly influence people’s personalities and traits keep changing.

Conclusion

Restate your views

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Sample Essay 2

A lot of scientists have a belief that genetic characteristics leave more influence on the personality of humans as compared to experiences in their lives. Though genetics have a certain effect on characters, I believe in the notion that life experiences are more significant. In this essay, I will discuss it in detail.

It is quite true that every human out there is unique, courtesy to the experiences they deal with in their lives. Hence, a lot of people have a belief that life experiences influence our lives more than genetic characters. Work experiences, education, family conditions and communities have a profound impact on the character of a person.

For instance, somebody could be born as a sanguine but could be raised in a broken family. Consequently, he could turn pessimistic while growing up. Another example could be a man being positive in nature but spending time with negative people; thus, turning just one of them. Moreover, life experiences, whether positive or negative, shape our individualistic selves and allow us to deal with different people differently, depending upon the situation and their behaviour towards us.

Although genetic characteristics and traits do have a little role to play in our development, it is not the only thing that shapes our future or develops our skills. Life experiences take the cookie here.

Concluding this, I would like to mention that I agree with the fact that life experiences are more significant. Hence, it is essential for us to be selective when it comes to choosing friends, workplaces and places to live and that we must learn as much as possible.

Sample Essay 3

It is a well-known fact that a human is born with certain characteristics that are shared with their parents and even predecessors. It is also commonly believed that such genetic attributes primarily determine a person’s nature considerably more than real-life influences. I disagree with this conjecture as, in my opinion, the upbringing and circumstances of one’s growth are more influential in the formation of an individual’s character. In the following essay, I will explain my views on the topic in detail and justify the same with relevant instances.

First and foremost, we must understand that the parental features that an infant is born with are etched deep into the personality due to the amount of time spent interacting and being nurtured by our parents. That being said, the family members who are closest to us during our childhood have a greater impact on us than the one’s with whom we associate the least. Thus, a person can have an array of hereditary traits, yet only the values taught and showcased by the dearer parent, are more evident in their persona.

Moreover, an individual has countless influences in their lives, sometimes a person fails to even realize how much they are affected by another human being. The fundamental nature of humans allows the adoption of the traits that we like into our disposition from the people that we meet, as we grow older. For instance, the degree of transformation that a person undergoes between the ages of 13 to 20 can be a testament to the fact that our life experiences can drastically change our nature.

Nevertheless, the sway of intrinsic traits cannot be disregarded completely as they are the foundations on which our personalities are built. However, such qualities tend to evolve over time and in some cases are entirely erased from a person’s mind owing to innumerable characteristic alterations.

In conclusion, it can be safely surmised that life experiences play a vital role in the development of a person’s psyche. Therefore, extrinsic influences are more consequential to an individual’s nature than biological traits.

Band 9 Sample Essay

The importance of experience has always been controversial. While one group feels that they make life complete and enriching, the other believes that the nature of a person determines the effectiveness of encounters one has in life. According to me, adventures and ordeals can condition the growth of a person, but the crux of every individual is their ingrained qualities.

When a child grows, he/she tries to mirror the looks and habits of the parents or the family member they have an affinity with. Initially, they make an effort to imbibe their mannerisms, but gradually they feel at home with their surroundings and develop their own instincts. For example, parents may like to go trekking or backpacking, but their children may be interested in lounging at home as they do not share the intrepid nature of the people around them. Even as they mature, they cannot change the way they look and liaise with like-minded people and reinforce their ideas. Therefore, values taught by the near and dear ones can be a part of their personality, but, in the end, they opt to be the master of their own will.

Further, education and interaction among friends and colleagues may broaden their vision, but it is basically the refinement of the ideas that the person already has. For instance, introverted kids tend to remain so even when they become adults. They may feel complacent with limited friends and family members, and they do not open up to everyone, even when pushed by others. Besides these, conscience is the strongest congenital part of a person. Although one may not correlate with it from a budding age, as the person comes of age, it determines the undertaking of the individual.

Nevertheless, experience does play an integral role in the development of character, especially in the contemporary world, as people tend to change their external and some of their inbred values when faced with certain circumstances. Yet, what one feels and decides upon is based on the natural instinct and morals expounded by the conscience.

In the end, various occurrences in life may toughen a person or make them compassionate, but ultimately, it is our inner judgement and inbuilt character that ascertain the path we choose.

Vocabulary

• Innate

Meaning: inborn, natural
Eg: Rose has an innate sense of humour just like her mother.

• Inborn

Meaning: existing from birth
Eg: Some qualities are inborn, while others can be learned.

• Traits

Meaning: a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person.
Eg: Identical twins have similar traits.

• Introvert

Meaning: a shy, reticent person.
Eg: Some introverts feel it difficult to open up among new people.

• Easy-going

Meaning: relaxed and tolerant in attitude or manner.
Eg: I love hanging out with my boss, he’s an easy-going person.

•  Narrow

Meaning: minded
Eg: John’s father is a narrow-minded person who will not accept inter caste marriage.

• Impact

Meaning: a marked effect or influence
Eg: The teacher had a great impact on students.

• Outlook

Meaning: a person’s point of view or general attitude to life.
Eg: The accident changed John’s outlook towards life.

• Emphasize

Meaning: give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing.
Eg: The author emphasized the story of Moses in his book.

• Unique

Meaning: being the only one of its kind.
Eg: A unique piece of jewellery was displayed in the showroom.

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