Writing question
“Success in life depends on luck as well as talent.”
Write an essay arguing for or against this statement.
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
Take a defensible stance on how luck and talent influence success. Develop contrasting reasons and real examples, including a qualification or counterargument where useful.
- argumentation
- counterargument
- examples
- coherence
Requirements to keep in mind
Argue for or against the quotation about luck and talent.
Plan your response
- State clearly whether you agree or disagree.
- Give more than one reason for your view.
- Use examples to explain your ideas.
- Consider an argument from the other side.
- Finish with a conclusion that returns to the statement.
Check your response against the task requirements. Leave time to review sentence clarity, punctuation and spelling.
Original atoply example response
Written by atoply, not an official school answer or mark scheme. Other successful responses are possible.
Reveal example and teaching notes
Does Success Need Luck as Well as Talent?
I agree that success in life depends on luck as well as talent. Talent gives a person the ability to achieve something, but luck can create the opportunity to show that ability. Neither is enough on its own.
Consider a gifted young musician. They might practise for years and play beautifully, but they still need someone to hear them. Perhaps a teacher recommends them for a concert, or a competition happens to be held nearby. Those chances involve good fortune. However, without practice and skill, the musician could not make the most of them.
Some people argue that hard work is more important than luck. There is truth in this. Athletes train regularly, writers rewrite their stories, and scientists learn from mistakes. Calling every achievement “lucky” would be unfair to the people who worked for it. Yet even hardworking people face circumstances they cannot control, such as their health, their family's resources or the opportunities available where they live.
Luck should not become an excuse for giving up. We cannot choose every opportunity, but we can prepare for the ones that arrive. We can also help create fairer chances for others.
In conclusion, talent and determination make success possible, while luck sometimes opens the door. The best response is to develop our abilities and be ready when that door appears.
Learn from the example
- The response connects a central idea to reasons or qualifications, creating a line of thought rather than a list of opinions.
- In a full response, develop the supporting examples and address a different view before reaching a conclusion that answers the question.