Not Everything That Is Learned Is Contained In Books | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample
It is said that “Not everything that is learned is contained in books”. Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
Here is a band 9 IELTS essay on this topic? Need help with writing? Get your writing samples corrected by me.
Band 9 IELTS essay sample
Books have always been a source of knowledge, but they are not the best source. Nor are they the only source. In my opinion, we learn more from our experiences than from books. Also, knowledge gained from experience is more important and valuable than bookish knowledge.
No doubt, books teach us a lot of things. That is the reason they are used extensively in education. Books contain the knowledge and wisdom of learned people. They become a part of our life as soon as we start school, and sometimes even before that. While much of the knowledge contained in books is concerned with facts and theory, it is, nonetheless, useful and valuable. That explains why well-read people are more intelligent and knowledgeable than those who do not read much.
Even so, books are not the best source of knowledge. Actually, we learn a lot more from our experiences and that learning is even more useful. Book knowledge may enable us to get a good job and earn a living, but that alone is not sufficient to go through life. No book can teach us how to deal with each and every situation that we encounter in our life. Nor can it predict the outcome of our actions. No book can teach us how to be happy or content in life. Such knowledge can only be gained from our experience. That explains why experienced people are more knowledgeable and successful than people who only read books. In the workplace, too, people who have experience are given preference to those who only have a degree.
To conclude, knowledge gained from experience is more important than knowledge gained from books because there is more to life than facts and figures. Books can give us guidelines but we can achieve perfection only from our experiences.
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One of the biggest assets of humankind is knowledge which can be gained through multiple sources. Books preserve a great deal of this knowledge, however, they are certainly not the optimal choice for gaining knowledge. In my opinion, experience is the primary and most crucial source of knowledge that prepares us for the life ahead.
Although books contain a great deal of knowledge, they the lack the sensory stimulation required for the optimal learning. In order to comprehend the true nature of the surrounding world, one needs all sensory modalities available to him/her. For instance, a book can describe in words what a rose looks like; can even provide a visual illustration of it. Nonetheless, this information is incomplete without the tactile and olfactory sensory experiences. Thus, although the books provide knowledge of the world, it is very limited and insufficient without experience.
Another reason why experience is more important than books is their inability to prepare one for real life situations. Books often provide generic information which does not help in dealing with the complications of everyday life. For example, a book can provide tips on how to perform good on a test but these tips could totally fail if the person is extremely stressed out or nervous during the examination. It is only the experience that can give one the true knowledge of what works and what does not work in complicated situations.
In sum, the knowledge provided by books is restricted and most certainly not adequate to prepare one for life. It is only experience that provides the optimal knowledge of the world and prepares us for the challenges of life.
Hi Nafeesa
This is a good essay. It should get you band 7. I made some minor changes to it before approving it. Compare it with what you have written.
Thanks