History of Writing Implements Tools for Writing Reading Answers

Jan 22, 2025

History of Writing Implements Tools for Writing Reading Answers is a generic topic for reading answers for the IELTS Exam. History of Writing Implements Tools for Writing Reading Answers, in total, consist of 7 IELTS questions. In the given set of questions (Questions No. 7-13), the candidates have to answer the given questions in TRUE/ FALSE/ NOT GIVEN options.

The IELTS Reading section evaluates the candidate's ability to understand and interpret all the academic and general passages. Practicing with IELTS reading practice papers can help you get familiar with different kinds of question formats in reading tasks, improve your vocabulary, and enhance your reading abilities. Understanding the instructions for all questions and managing your time efficiently are important strategies for achieving a high band score on the IELTS exam.

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Section 1 History of Writing Implements Tools for Writing

Writing is one of the most important inventions of humanity. It allowed us to record our history, ideas, and discoveries and spread them across the globe for all to know. The earliest writing tools were made to be rigid so they could engrave texts into different materials. The Chinese, for instance, carved into turtle shells.

Ancient Sumerians and Babylonians used a triangular stylus to write on soft clay tablets, which would be later baked. Romans wrote on wax tablets with styluses, which allowed them to erase written text. Clay tablets were heavy and brittle. Wax tablets were not heat-resistant. Therefore, people tried to find other solutions.

Scribes of Ancient Egypt used reed pens, which were made from a single reed straw, cut and shaped into a point. Papyrus was used as a surface to write with these pens. Reed pens didn’t last long when used and were too stiff, so they were replaced with quills. Quills are pens made from the flight feathers of large birds. Different materials were used to be written on with quills, like parchment and vellum.

The popularity of quills lasted until the 19th century when the first pens with metal nibs appeared. John Mitchell from Birmingham was the first to mass-produce pens with metal nibs in 1822. These had a handle and a metal point with a split that held a small amount of ink when dipped. They worked the same as quills but lasted much longer, didn’t need to be sharpened, and could be made to a much finer point.

Bartholomew Folsch received a patent in England for a pen with an ink reservoir in 1809. French Government patented a fountain pen in May 1827 which was an invention of Romanian Petrache Poenaru. The ballpoint pen was invented in 1888, by John J. Loud and improved by Laszlo Biro in 1938, which attained commercial success.

Slavoljub Eduard Penkala invented the mechanical pencil in 1906 and the first solid-ink fountain pen in 1907. The felt-tipped pen, which came before markers and highlighters, was an invention of Yukio Horie from Japan. Rollerball pen, which uses water-based ink, appeared in 1963, also in Japan. We still use pens and pencils today for writing and drawing as well as styluses, but those are just on touch screens.

Section 2

Solutions and Explanations

Questions 7-13:

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? Write

TRUE – if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE – if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN – if there is no information on this

7. Among writing tools, hard tools preceded other tools like quills and reed pens.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.........The earliest writing tools were made to be rigid so they could engrave texts into different materials. The Chinese, for instance, carved into turtle shells. .........”

Keywords: Writing, Tools, Rigid, Carved

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 3-5

Explanation: The above passage mentions that early writing instruments were quite hard, such as triangular styluses and Chinese tools for engraving on tortoise shells, which preceded reed pens and quills.

8. Wax was the best surface to write on, as whatever was written could be erased.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “.........Romans wrote on wax tablets with styluses, which allowed them to erase written text. Clay tablets were heavy and brittle.........”

Keywords: Wax, Erase, Romans, Clay

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 2-4

Explanation: The above passage states that wax tablets allowed the written text to be erased but that they were “not heat-resistant”, meaning they were not the best surface to write on.

9. Parchment, vellum, and papyrus were surfaces used to write upon.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.........Papyrus was used as a surface to write with these pens. Reed pens didn’t last long when used and were too stiff, so they were replaced with quills.........”

Keywords: Papyrus, Surface, Reed Pens

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 2-4

Explanation: The passage mentions that scribes used papyrus with reed pens and that pens were used on parchment and vellum, confirming that they were the surfaces on which to write.

10. The first pens with metal nibs were made in 1822 by John Mitchell from Birmingham.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.........John Mitchell from Birmingham was the first to mass-produce pens with metal nibs in 1822. These had a handle and a metal point with a split that held a small amount of ink when dipped.........”

Keywords: John Mitchell, Birmingham, Nibs

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 2-4

Explanation: The passage indicates that John Mitchell of Birmingham was the first to mass-produce a pen with a metal nib in 1822, which confirms the veracity of this statement.

11. The ballpoint pens invented by John Loud did not sell as well as those made by Laszlo Biro.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.........The ballpoint pen was invented in 1888, by John J. Loud and improved by Laszlo Biro in 1938, which attained commercial success..........”

Keywords: Ballpoint, John Loud, Laszlo Biro

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 3-5

Explanation: The above passage shows that John J. Laud invented the ballpoint pen in 1888, but it was improved by László Biro in 1938, who achieved commercial success in this aspect, meaning that Laud's version did not sell well.

12. The mechanical pencil and the solid ink fountain pen were invented by the same person.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.........Slavoljub Eduard Penkala invented the mechanical pencil in 1906 and the first solid-ink fountain pen in 1907.........”

Keywords: Mechanical Pencil, Fountain Pen

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 1-2

Explanation: The mechanical pencil and the solid-ink fountain pen were invented by the same person, Slavoljub Eduard Penkala.

13. Markers and highlighters were invented by Yukio Horie from Japan.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “.........The felt-tipped pen, which came before markers and highlighters, was an invention of Yukio Horie from Japan. Rollerball pen, which uses water-based ink, appeared in 1963, also in Japan.........”

Keywords: Markers, Highlighters, Yukio Horie

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 2-4

Explanation: The above passage mentions that Yukio Horie invented the felt-tipped pen, which came before markers and highlighters in writing culture.

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