Writing Task Two (Academic and General ) - IELTS Cambridge 20 ( Test 4 ), 2025​

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Question: Some people believe that curiosity is the key driver of innovation, while others think it is necessity. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.​

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Innovation has been driven by a range of human motivations, yet there is debate over whether curiosity or necessity plays the greater role. Both perspectives hold merit, but curiosity arguably provides the deeper foundation for long-term progress.

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Advocates of necessity argue that urgent problems push people to create solutions. History provides many examples, such as the rapid development of medical treatments during pandemics or the invention of wartime technologies. In these cases, human survival and practical needs have forced breakthroughs that might otherwise have taken decades.

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By contrast, curiosity often sparks discovery without immediate demand. Scientific exploration of space, artificial intelligence, or genetic engineering was not initially driven by survival, yet such pursuits have already produced countless applications. Curiosity fuels creativity and allows humans to explore beyond current limitations, ensuring continuous advancement even when necessity is absent.

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In my view, both necessity and curiosity are essential, but curiosity is more powerful in the long run. Necessity may produce quick solutions, but curiosity sustains innovation by encouraging people to ask questions and imagine possibilities before problems even exist.

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In conclusion, while necessity can accelerate innovation in times of crisis, curiosity remains the ultimate driver of human progress.

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Word count: 263

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Commentary on the grammar used:

Intro:
"Innovation has been driven by a range of human motivations, yet there is debate over whether curiosity or necessity plays the greater role. Both perspectives hold merit, but curiosity arguably provides the deeper foundation for long-term progress."

• Present perfect passive: "has been driven."

• Balanced contrast with "yet."

• Adverb of stance: "arguably."

• Complex noun phrase: "the deeper foundation for long-term progress."

Body 1:
"Advocates of necessity argue that urgent problems push people to create solutions. History provides many examples, such as the rapid development of medical treatments during pandemics or the invention of wartime technologies. In these cases, human survival and practical needs have forced breakthroughs that might otherwise have taken decades."

• Reporting verb: "argue that."

• Present simple for historical generalisations.

• Modal perfect: "might otherwise have taken."

• Parallel structure in examples.

Body 2:
"By contrast, curiosity often sparks discovery without immediate demand. Scientific exploration of space, artificial intelligence, or genetic engineering was not initially driven by survival, yet such pursuits have already produced countless applications. Curiosity fuels creativity and allows humans to explore beyond current limitations, ensuring continuous advancement even when necessity is absent."

• Contrast marker "By contrast."

• Past passive: "was not initially driven."

• Present perfect: "have already produced."

• Present participle clause: "ensuring continuous advancement..."

Conclusion:
"In my view, both necessity and curiosity are essential, but curiosity is more powerful in the long run. Necessity may produce quick solutions, but curiosity sustains innovation by encouraging people to ask questions and imagine possibilities before problems even exist. In conclusion, while necessity can accelerate innovation in times of crisis, curiosity remains the ultimate driver of human progress."

• Author stance with "In my view."

• Modal "may produce."

• Balanced compound sentence: "Necessity may produce..., but curiosity sustains..."

• Concluding concessive: "while necessity... curiosity remains..."