People say that reading for pleasure helps people to develop imagination and better language skills than watch TV. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

There is a widespread saying that books and novels spur the imagination and language skills much more than any
TV
programme. I believe that
this
notion holds true no matter what modern technologies are used on
TV
and
TV
media production. The reasons are simple, because reading is an active form of learning while watching
TV
is mostly passive. Reading for pleasure, as an active method of knowledge acquisition, allows people to create and memorize concepts more clearly.
Firstly
, the text format pushes readers to purposefully, in their minds, convert words into unique images and sentences into motion pictures.
For example
, the Harry Potter series of novels have allowed fans to create and construct their representation of the wizard world
that is
filled with magic and spells. Many readers continue to dream up myriads of spin-off stories based on the characters after the final book.
Secondly
, the process of reading
also
allows people to learn better by letting people control their own pace of studying. One can pause at any moment to reread, review, absorb new information, and avoid getting overwhelmed.
This
ability to stop and ponder is particularly helpful when trying to familiarize oneself with a new language. Many studies have shown a strong linkage between time spent reading and vocabulary improvements. Watching
TV
,
on the other hand
, does not have any of the aforementioned merits. Viewers can only watch the visualization
that is
given and predefined by
TV
programmes. Since no extra effort in thinking is needed, people who watch a lot of
TV
will most likely be lazy to conceptualize any originality in imagination.
For example
, if children grow up only watching the Lords of the Rings movies and not knowing the books, they will only have one way, and the same way, of describing a dwarf, an elf or a hobbit.
Moreover
, the languages used on
TV
are
also
mostly informal and straightforward, in tune with the needs to deliver information quickly.
Therefore
, while the listening skill is likely to improve after prolonged exposure to the
TV
, not much else can be developed, linguistically. In conclusion, reading books is by far superior to watching
TV
in terms of creativity and language development because reading gives people total control of their minds. In a world flooded with information, the ability to control your thoughts is the key to improve oneself.
Submitted by nevermore2k90 on

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Word Count

IELTS says that you should write a minimum of 250 words in writing task 2. If you go under word count you will lose marks in task response.

A very long essay will not give you a higher band score.

Aim for between 260 to 290 words in writing task 2. This will ensure a concise essay and will be realistic in terms of time management. You have only 40 minutes to write the essay and you need around 10 minutes of planning time, so you will not be able to write a long essay in 30 minutes.

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ »— a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

Topic Vocabulary:
  • imagination
  • language skills
  • active engagement
  • visualize
  • stimulates
  • sentence structures
  • vocabulary
  • styles of writing
  • grammatical structures
  • cognitive and analytical skills
  • self-paced learning
  • comprehension and retention
  • visual and auditory stimuli
  • attention span
  • informative and entertaining
  • passive
  • demanding
  • interpret and create meaning
What to do next:
Look at other essays: