bí quyết thi IELTS writing

must to do thing in IELTS writing task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2: how to use your 40 minutes

You have 40 minutes for task 2, so try organising your time in the following way Please note that these are suggestions, not rules

First 10 minutes

Read the question and make sure you understand what it is asking you to do Write a plan for a 4-paragraph essay (introduction, 2 main paragraphs, conclusion) and spend most of the 10 minutes thinking of ideas for the 2 main paragraphs

Write a quick conclusion then check your work

Must To Do Thing in IELTS Writing Task 2:

IELTS Package, strongly advice all IELTS test takers to learn the usage of the below mentioned words If you are thinking to get 7 or 7.5 Bands in writing task, than it is extremely important that you must learn the usage

of below mentioned words in your writing by Hook or Crook In our previous post we have already provided you the IELTS Writing Task 2 Free Samples Therefore, from those samples you can easily comprehend the utilization of these mentioned words

Some Important Things for Writing Task 2:

In IELTS writing task 2, the examiner is not just looking for your vocabulary, but also looking for your perfect grammar and punctuation In IELTS preparation material download provided at this blog, you will notice that right grammar and punctuation is very much necessary IELTS Package recommends all IELTS test takers that

they must have grip on “Present-Perfect Tense”, “Present-Indefinite Tense”,

“Present-Perfect-Continuous” & “Future-Indefinite Tense” to write their essays more effectively Similarly, use of

punctuation also plays a vital role in your final grading For this reason, always use proper punctuation For

instance, always use “Comma” after words like Furthermore, Moreover, Therefore, Instead Of, Conclusively,

In a nutshell etc Also, use “Comma” before word “BUT” and use “Comma” after word “Which,”

Task Response Factor 1:

In your IELTS writing task 2 you will be provided with a statement on any subject issue, on which you have to write an

essay of minimum 250 words IELTS package has mentioned that the response to the thesis statement is of prime

importance The IELTS examiner wants to see whether or not you have addressed all the questions with support and

relevant ideas? Therefore, IELTS Package has mentioned that the support in essay should be very much strong For this support you can present your own personal experience to validate your own viewpoints.

Cohesion & Coherence Factor 2:

Cohesion = How effective is your writing + Supporting Ideas & Flow

Coherence = How you understand statement + How well reader Interpret your statement

Lexical Resource Factor 3:

Use good vocabulary and don’t repeat the same words over and over again Try to use different words, but in the right context

Grammatical Range and Accuracy Factor 4:

In your IELTS preparation and practice, make it sure that you are working on your grammar at the same time In your

IELTS writing task 2, the examiner will be looking for accurate, flexible and appropriate grammatical structure within

your essay As per the information provided by the IELTS Package, it is evident that IELTS test is more concerned with

your communication rather than your sentence structuring and grammatical skills

4-paragraph essay for "discuss and give your opinion" questions Notice that I give my opinion in 3 places (introduction, paragraph 3, conclusion)

In a discursive/discussion essay, you talk about other people's opinions, or the advantages and

disadvantages - you don't make it personal i.e YOUR opinion is not important

In an argumentative essay, you give YOUR opinion and try to support it

 Agree / disagree

 Discuss two opinions

 Advantages & disadvantages

 Causes (reasons) & solutions

 Causes (reasons) & effects

 Problems & solutions

 Compare & contrast

Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do You may get some of these tasks mixed up For example, you could be asked to give your opinion on an issue, and then discuss the advantages or disadvantages

of it

The golden rule is to ALWAYS read the question very carefully to see exactly what you are being asked to

do

IELTS Advice: you need ideas and opinions

A problem for many students (for writing task 2 and speaking part 3) is that they don't have opinions They don't have any idea what to write or say

Look through the following list of common IELTS topics Do you have opinions about them? Could you

discuss them in an essay or in a conversation?

1 Advertising

2 Animal Rights: testing on animals, vegetarianism, zoos

3 Cities: urbanisation, problems of city life

4 Crime: police, punishments/prisons, rehabilitation, capital punishment

5 Education: studying abroad, technology in education, education in developing countries, higher

education, home-schooling, bad behaviour, corporal punishment, single sex education, streaming

(grouping children according to ability)

6 Environment: global warming, impact of humans on the environment, solutions to environment

problems, waste/rubbish, litter, recycling, nuclear power

7 Family: family size, working parents, negative effects on children, divorce, care for old people

8 Gender: gender and education, gender and work, women‟s and men‟s role in the family

9 Genetic Engineering: positives, negatives, genetically modified foods

10 Global Issues: problems in developing countries, how to help developing countries, immigration, cultural societies, globalisation

multi-11 Government and Society: what governments can do, public services, censorship, video cameras in public places

12 Guns and Weapons: gun ownership and possession, police and guns, nuclear weapons, armed forces

13 Health: diet, exercise, state health systems, private healthcare, alternative medicine, stress

14 Housing and Architecture: state housing, old buildings, modern/green buildings

15 International Language: English as an international language

16 Money: money and society, consumerism

17 Personal Development: happiness, success, nature or nurture

18 Sport and Leisure: professional/competitive sport, sport salaries, sport and politics

19 Tourism: positives, negative effects on environment, future of tourism

20 Traditions and Modern Life: losing traditional skills, traditional customs

21 Transport: traffic problems and solutions, public transport, road safety

22 Television, Internet and Mobile Phones: positives and negatives, Internet compared to newspapers and books

23 Water: importance of clean water, water supply, water should be free, bottled water

24 Work: same job for life, self-employment, unemployment, work/life balance, technology and work, child labour

This is the topic list that I work with when preparing lessons and it's the basis of my eBook It's a good idea to print this list and try to work through it

Frases: work out of necessity, extended families, desire to have a career, it comes down to priorities

prohibited, verified and oppressive Examples of good collocation include prejudices a fair trial and tackle the problems

We often use the -ING form after "rather than"

Sometimes, the best way to think of ideas for an essay is to start with an example One good example can give you enough ideas for a full paragraph

It should be "play too MANY video/computer games" or "play video games too much/often" or "spend too much time playing video games".

The American English spelling is 'globalization' - British „globalisation‟ You can use either spelling in the IELTS test

- At age 30 / At the age of 30 (number 4 in your list)

- The group of people aged 30

It's difficult to use "age group" with the number I'd use age group when speaking in general e.g "The chart shows different age groups" or "people in the first age group "

In your list, number 4 is good, but I wouldn't use the others

After a number we DON'T write "s"

e.g 2 million people live in this city

Without a number, we DO write "s"

e.g Millions of people are moving to live in cities

Could you tell me some alternatives for the following sentences?

1.There are several reasons for this problems

2 may cause several problems

3.Measures could be taken to tackle this problem

1 There are multiple reasons behind "drug problem" or "the problem of " or "why "

2 .can trigger problem

can give rise to problem

3 We should take action to address this problem immediately

SSS 1 This problem may be caused by a variety of factors

2 There may be several negative consequences of

3 Governments/parents/schools/members of the public (etc.) could take action/steps to address this issue.

"Band 7 Vocabulary"

When I say "band 7 vocabulary", I'm really talking about vocabulary that could help you to get a band 7 or higher Examiners are looking for "less common" words and phrases, correct and relevant collocations, and

maybe some idiomatic language

I've written the following paragraph using some of the ideas from the lesson below I've underlined the band 7 (or higher) vocabulary

IELTS Writing Task 2: collocations

Collocations are groups of words that are often found together Native speakers have a large repertoire of these word groups, and can use them without thinking Language learners need to build their own repertoire of collocations through reading and listening, and by noticing word groups that commonly occur

 a rich variety

 a vital part, a necessary part

 a range of reasons

Advantages of studying abroad:

Many students choose to study abroad because there are greater opportunities in a particular foreign country Foreign universities may offer better facilities or courses They may also be more prestigious than universities

in the student‟s own country and have teachers who are experts in their fields Therefore, by studying abroad, students can expand their knowledge and gain qualifications that open the door to better job opportunities A period of study abroad can also broaden students‟ horizons In the new country, they will have to live and work with other students of various nationalities Thus, overseas students are exposed to different cultures, customs and points of view (106 words)

SSS 'Advertising' has been the topic of IELTS writing task 2 several times this year It's a popular topic, so you need some ideas and opinions about it

 Advertising should be _regulated _

 Advertising _aimed at _ children should be controlled or even banned

 Unhealthy foods should not be marketed _ in a way that _ attracts children

 Products that can be a risk to health should display warnings

 However, advertising is necessary in free _market _ economies

 It creates demand for _ products

 Governments should only censor false information or products that are harmful

Fill the gaps with these words/phrases:

market, in a way that, regulated, display, censor, demand for, aimed at

and in everyday spoken English, the verb + preposition is used (eg speak up, give up, write down); however, for written academic style, the preferred choice is a single verb wherever possible

Investigate – Looking into Researchers have been this problem for 15 years now

Assist – Help out - Systems analysts can managers in many different ways

Raise – Brought up Exercise alone will not medical problems related to blood pressure

Discover – Found out Researchers have that this drug has serious side effects

establish – Set up This program was to improve access to medical care

increase – Gone up Medical research expenditure has to nearly $350 million

eliminate – Get rid of This issue was during the coroner's inquest

Comparison of sentences from informal writing to academic writing

Informal writing

When I look at the situation in emergency wards, with

many staff leaving, it's hard not to worry about how

many doctors will be available to treat patients in the

future

It's so obvious that people were given jobs just

because they were male or female I don't think that

is an acceptable approach and is even against the law

Academic writing

If we consider the situation in emergency wards, with increasingly low staff retention rates, there are concerns about the capacity of hospitals to maintain adequate doctor to patient ratios

It appears that in a number of instances jobs were assigned on the basis of gender Given the current anti-discrimination laws, this raises serious concerns.

You will notice that, in general, in academic writing we:

 minimize the use of the personal I in the text: avoid writing 'When I look; I don't think this is an

acceptable approach'

 use formal verbs, and fewer verb phrases (verb + preposition), use consider rather than look at

 use impersonal expressions: there are…, this raises

 use more nouns than verbs: concerns, rather than to worry

 avoid emotional expressions, such as it's so obvious ( it appears is preferable); just because ( assigned on the basis of is preferable)

 aim for concise, often abstract expression, gender, rather than male or female

There is little doubt that…

Avoiding too much reference to yourself as agent in your writing

Here is a question that a lot of students ask:

Is it acceptable to use "I" or "my" in IELTS writing?

As an ex-examiner, my advice is that you should use phrases like "I believe" or "in my opinion" when the question asks for your opinion e.g To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some teachers tell students not to use "I" in academic essays, but this advice is really for university academic writing, not IELTS

IELTS Writing Task 2: four question types

Here are 4 questions that illustrate the different types of task 2 question Can you name each type? Can you explain the big difference between the first and the second type?

1 Some people think that the only purpose of working hard is to earn money To what extent do you agree or

disagree with this opinion?

2 Some people believe that punishment is the only purpose of prisons, while others believe that prisons exist for various reasons Discuss both views and give your opinion

3 The number of plants and animals is declining Explain this problem and suggest some solutions

4 Many people around the world are choosing to move to live in cities What problems do people experience in big cities? Should governments encourage people to move to smaller towns?

1 Opinion

2 Discussion + opinion

3 Problem + solution

4 2-part question

Important points to remember:

1 An 'opinion' question asks for your view, not the views of other people, and you don't have to give both sides of the argument Just make your opinion clear in the introduction, then explain it in the rest of the essay

2 A 'discussion' question requires you to write about both sides of the argument, and you should write a similar amount for each view If the question also asks for your opinion, you don't need an extra paragraph Just make it clear in the introduction and conclusion which of the two views you agree with

3 Type 3 is easy Simply write a paragraph explaining the problem(s) and a paragraph explaining the

solution(s) Some questions ask about 'causes' or 'effects': these would be part of the 'problem' paragraph

4 For type 4, just answer the two questions Write one paragraph about each

IELTS Writing Task 2: examples give you ideas

If you can't think of any good ideas for an essay, try thinking about some examples first Plan your essay around the examples Take this question:

Some people believe that hobbies need to be difficult to be enjoyable

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Use examples to give you ideas:

 Make a list of some hobbies: either your own hobbies, or some typical hobbies that you can easily write about Label each hobby 'easy' or 'difficult'

 Look at your list Is there a balance between easy and difficult hobbies, or is your list one-sided? The answer to this question will give you your overall opinion

 Finally, write down a few reasons why each hobby is easy or difficult Is there a connection between the difficulty of the hobby and the enjoyment you get from it?

!!!!!!!! SSS For IELTS Writing Task 2, keep your introduction short and simple Don't waste time writing a long introduction; the main body paragraphs are more important

Try to improve your planning - make notes and restrict yourself to 5 sentences for each main body paragraph

A good IELTS Writing introduction needs only 2 things:

1 A sentence that introduces the topic

2 A sentence that gives a short, general answer to the question

Here is an example of an IELTS Task 2 question:

As computers are being used more and more in education, there will soon be no role for the teacher in the

classroom To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here is my introduction:

It is true that computers have become an essential tool for teachers and students in all areas of education However, while computers are extremely useful, I do not agree with the idea that they could soon replace teachers

completely

1 In the first sentence I introduce the topic of computers in education

2 In the second sentence I answer the question and make my opinion clear Don't wait until the conclusion to give your opinion

Example question:

All high school students should be encouraged to take part in community service programmes

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

My introduction:

Some people believe that high school students would benefit from doing unpaid work in their local communities I completely agree that community service programmes for teenagers are a good idea

IELTS Writing Task 2: rules for introductions

Many people decide on a career path early in their lives and keep to it This, they argue, leads to a more satisfying working life To what extent do you agree with this view?

What other things can people do in order to have a satisfying working life?

In today's lesson I just want to look at how to write an introduction for this type of question My simple rules for task 2 introductions are:

1 Write 2 sentences: introduce the topic, then give a general answer

2 Mention everything that the question mentions

3 Don't save any surprises for the conclusion; give your opinion in the introduction if the question asks for it

Here's an example introduction:

It is true that some people know from an early age what career they want to pursue, and they are happy to spend the rest of their lives in the same profession While I accept that this may suit many people, I believe that others enjoy changing careers or seeking job satisfaction in different ways

Things to learn from simon's introduction:

1- Never use the same words in the question

early in their lives = at an early age

decide on a career = pursue a career

keep to it = Spen the rest of their lives in the same profession

We can also replace the word job with the walk of life I will let Simon approve this

2- The template used in the introduction and the elegant transition used by Simon in "While I accept "

From the question to your answer

3- Make the introduction sound like an introduction, so keep it short and general, The conclusion is just a

restatement of the introduction

SSS IELTS Writing Task 2: introductions

Here are some example introductions for 3 different types of essay My technique is to write 2 sentences:

1 A sentence to introduce the topic

2 A sentence giving a general response to the question or instruction

Problem & Solution Essay:

It is true that children's behaviour seems to be getting worse There are various reasons for this, and both schools and parents need to work together to improve the situation

Discussion (& Opinion) Essay:

People have different views about how children should be taught While there are some good arguments in favour

of teaching children to be competitive, I believe that it is better to encourage co-operation

Opinion (Agree / Disagree) Essay:

In recent years it has become more common for women to return to work after having a child However, I do not agree that this has been the cause of problems for young people

My advice:

Keep your introduction short Main body paragraphs are more important

IELTS Writing Task 2: introduction without opinion

My normal advice for task 2 introductions is this: write two sentences - one to introduce the essay topic, and one to give a basic answer to the question But what should you put in the second sentence (basic answer) if the question doesn't ask for your opinion?

Here are two example questions:

1 Many people believe that an effective public transport system is a key component of a modern city Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of public transport

2 Crime rates tend to be higher in cities than in smaller towns Explain some possible reasons for this problem, and suggest some solutions

Here are two sample introductions:

1 Officials in many cities are keen to develop efficient public transport systems While public transport has many benefits, there are also some drawbacks which are worth considering

2 Cities generally experience higher levels of criminality than towns or villages There are various reasons for this, but measures could be taken to tackle the problem

Hopefully you can see that it's quite easy to write an introduction for these types of question The approach is the same (topic + basic answer) whether the question asks for your opinion or not

IELTS Writing Task 2: problem & solution introduction

My advice for task 2 introductions is to write them very quickly Just write 2 sentences: one to introduce the topic, and one to give a basic answer Let's look at how to do this for a "problem and solution" question:

The number of plants and animals is declining Describe some reasons for this problem and suggest some solutions

Here's my introduction:

It is undeniable that wildlife habitats are being destroyed and whole species of plants and animals are disappearing There are several causes of this alarming trend, but measures could certainly be taken to tackle the problem

Note:

In the second sentence you don't need to give any causes or solutions; save your ideas for the main paragraphs

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'discussion' introduction

Today I'll use the same technique (2 sentences: topic + basic answer) to write a 'discussion and opinion'

introduction

Here's a question (from Cambridge IELTS 6):

Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important

professions Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion

Here's my 2-sentence introduction:

It is true that sports stars often earn huge salaries While there are some good reasons why this is the case, I

personally believe that it is wrong for these people to be paid more than other professionals

IELTS Writing Task 2: different introductions

Some people think the main purpose of schools is to turn children into good citizens and workers, rather than to benefit them as individuals To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here are 3 different introductions Notice that the opinion is clear in each one

It's a good idea to practise writing short, fast introductions If you can write the introduction quickly, you will have more time to focus on the main paragraphs - these are the key to a high score

Here's a question that someone asked me about:

In many cities, security measures, such as the use of video cameras in public places, are being increased in order to reduce crime, but some people believe that these measures restrict our individual freedom

Do the benefits of increased security outweigh the drawbacks?

Here's my short, fast introduction:

It is true that the security in many cities has been tightened in recent years Although I agree that some security measures can feel restrictive, I believe that there are more benefits than drawbacks

Note:

- In reality, it might not be true that security has been increased in most cities, but I think we have to accept this in order to answer the question

- The question gives us an example of increased security (video cameras), so we can definitely use that example in

a paragraph about the drawbacks

- Notice that my introduction paraphrases the question I've used some of the words from the question, but there are some nice changes too (e.g tightened, feel restrictive)

Look at the following introduction and conclusion for an essay about whether it is better for students to work alone

In conclusion, both individual and group study can be useful under different circumstances, but I generally prefer

to work with others as part of a team

Notice that my 'position' is clear in the introduction, so the conclusion simply repeats my view in a different way

IELTS Writing Task 2: completely disagree

When you completely agree or completely disagree with the question statement, you don't need to write about the other side of the argument Just state your opinion and give reasons Today I'll show you how to write a 'disagree' essay for this question:

Some people think that all teenagers should be required to do unpaid work in their free time to help the local community They believe this would benefit both the individual teenager and society as a whole

Do you agree or disagree?

Here's my 4-paragraph plan:

1 Introduction: introduce the topic of unpaid work for teenagers, and make it clear that you completely disagree with the idea of requiring (forcing) young people to do this

2 First reason: explain why this idea would not benefit teenagers e.g they are already busy with school work, they should be allowed to enjoy being young, they have many years of work ahead of them when they finish their studies

3 Second reason: explain why this idea would not benefit society e.g forcing young people to work goes against the values of a free society, the current system of volunteering is better, this idea would be impossible to enforce

4 Conclusion: repeat your opinion that requiring teenagers to work benefits neither the teenagers nor society as a whole

SSS IELTS Writing: to what extent do you agree?

A good way to answer this question is:

To a certain extent I agree that However, I also think that

By saying that you agree to a certain extent (not completely), you can now talk about both sides of the argument

After this introduction, you can write one paragraph about each view

IELTS Writing Task 2: strong or balanced opinion

The following question asks for your opinion You can either have a strong opinion or a more balanced opinion, but make it clear in your introduction

Governments should not have to provide care or financial support for elderly people because it is the

responsibility of each person to prepare for retirement and support him or herself

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Introduction (strong opinion):

People have different views about whether or not governments should help senior citizens I completely disagree with the idea that elderly people should receive no support from the state

Introduction (more balanced opinion):

People have different views about whether or not governments should help senior citizens Although I accept that

we all have a responsibility to save money for retirement, I disagree with the idea that elderly people should receive no support from the state

Note:

After the first introduction, try to write 2 paragraphs that both explain why you disagree

The second introduction allows you to discuss both sides (which might be easier)

IELTS Writing Task 2: have a strong opinion

If the question asks whether you agree or disagree, it's often easier to have a strong opinion (completely agree or completely disagree) rather than trying to be "in the middle" Here's an example question:

Families who do not send their children to public schools should not be required to pay taxes that support universal education To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

I don't think there is a "middle answer" to this question: either you think that the parents should not pay tax

(agree), or you think they should pay tax (disagree)

When you have a strong opinion, you don't need to mention the opposite view

Here's my plan for a 4-paragraph essay:

1 Introduction: 1 sentence to introduce the topic, 1 sentence to make your opinion clear (e.g I completely disagree )

2 Main paragraph: support your opinion with a reason

3 Main paragraph: support your opinion with another reason

4 Conclusion: repeat/summarise your opinion

IELTS Writing Task 2: balanced opinion

In the last century, the first man to walk on the moon said it was "a giant leap for mankind” However, some people think it has made little difference to our daily lives

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

For this question, I would write that "I partly agree" or that "I agree to some extent" Then I would write one main paragraph about each side of the argument:

1 Introduction: I partly agree Make it clear that you have a balanced opinion

2 One side: In practical terms, sending a man to the moon has not changed most people's lives We have not benefited in terms of our standard of living, health etc In fact, governments have wasted a lot of money that could have been spent on public services

3 Other side: On the other hand, putting a man on the moon was a huge achievement that still inspires and interests people today It showed us that we can achieve anything we put our minds to

4 Conclusion: The fact that man has walked on the moon might not have had a direct effect on our daily lives, but it was an inspiring achievement

IELTS Writing Task 2: one view or both views ? "Do you agree or disagree"

Example 1: Some people say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together To what extent do you agree that the internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one another?

Example 2: Some people think that students who don‟t take a break in studies between a high school and a

university are at disadvantage compared to students that travel and work after high school before furthering their education Do you agree or disagree?

My question is : do we need to discuss here both sides of the arguments and then find a conclusion (agreement / disagreement)?

Yes, there is no difference between "To what extent do you agree or disagree?" and just "Do you agree or

disagree?" I would answer both questions in the same way

Example - Some people think the main purpose of schools is to turn children into good citizens and workers, rather than to benefit them as individuals To what extent do you agree or disagree?

IELTS Writing Task 2: both sides or one side?

Can you see the difference between the two questions below?

A) Explain the positives and negatives of this development

B) Is this a positive or negative development?

and these two questions:

A) What are the advantages and disadvantages?

B) Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

and these two questions:

A) Discuss both views and give your opinion

B) To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Answer:

The difference is that for all of the (A) questions you must explain both sides of the argument, whereas the (B) questions can be answered by giving both sides or by supporting only one side, depending on the view that you express in your introduction

This is still the most common confusion that students ask me about Make sure you understand the difference between the questions above; if you're still unsure, look through all of my task 2 lessons to see further advice and examples

IELTS Writing Task 2: do the advantages outweigh ?

Some IELTS writing task 2 questions ask: "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" or "Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?"

My advice for these questions is to write a paragraph about each side, and make it clear in the introduction and conclusion which side outweighs the other (i.e your opinion about whether there are more advantages or

disadvantages)

In some countries, governments are encouraging industries and businesses to move to regional areas outside the big cities Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

Here are some ideas:

1 Introduce the topic by paraphrasing the statement, then give a clear opinion about whether there are more advantages or disadvantages

2 Advantages - e.g costs are lower in regional areas; there is more space; provide jobs to boost deprived areas; avoid further overcrowding in cities

3 Disadvantages - e.g greater availability of skilled workers in big cities; better transport and infrastructure; companies based in regional areas are further from their clients, providers and other contacts

4 Conclude by summarising your opinion in a different way

Example Introduction  It is true that businesses in some countries are given incentives to move out of the big cities While there are several benefits to moving to regional areas, I believe that a city centre location is more desirable for most companies

IELTS Writing Task 2: the '2 part' question

The following question confuses many students because it doesn't seem to be one of the 3 normal types (opinion, discussion, problem/solution)

Happiness is considered very important in life Why is it difficult to define? What factors are important in achieving happiness?

I call this a "2 part" question, and it's easier than you think Just answer the first question in paragraph 2, and the second question in paragraph 3:

1 Introduction - topic + simple answer to both questions

2 Paragraph - explain why happiness is difficult to define

Some ideas: Explain that happiness means different things to different people; the same situation can make one person happy but another person sad/bored etc Give examples of what makes different people happy (money, success, family, friends, hobbies) Give an example from your experience e.g a hobby that makes you happy but that your friend hates

3 Paragraph - give your opinions about how to achieve happiness

Some ideas: Try to organise your ideas logically - you could begin with humans' basic needs (in order to be happy

we need to be healthy and have somewhere to live, food to eat etc.) then talk about the importance of family and friends You could then write about career, money, success, status etc - maybe you could explain that these things mean nothing if we do not have family and friends to share our experiences with Give an example from your own life - what will make you happier than you are now?

4 Conclusion - repeat/summarise the main ideas

IELTS Advice: argument or discussion?

Many people ask me about the difference between an argument essay and a discussion essay Here's an easy way

to think about the difference:

 When you argue, you are trying to persuade the other person to agree with your point of view You might even get angry!

 When you discuss, you consider different points of view, and nobody gets angry

The question should make it very clear what it wants you to do If it asks you to "discuss", you should write about advantages and disadvantages or two different views

If the question asks whether you "agree or disagree", it's asking for your view For this type of question, give your

opinion in the introduction and support it in the rest of the essay Try to persuade the reader to agree with you

IELTS Writing Task 2: discussion without opinion – u Pdf formatu essey

Most discussion essays also ask for your opinion Sometimes, however, the question doesn't ask for your opinion

It might just ask you to discuss two different views, or compare the advantages and disadvantages

Remember: if the question doesn't ask for your opinion, don't give it

Compare the 2 essays attached below They are almost the same, but in the first essay I give my opinion clearly in several places, while in the second essay I've removed my opinions completely

1) Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career, while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school Discuss both views and give your opinion.

When they finish school, teenagers face the dilemma of whether to get a job or continue their education While there are benefits to getting a job straight after school, I would argue that it is better to go to college or university Conclusion: For the reasons mentioned above, it seems to me that students are more likely to be successful in their careers if they continue their studies beyond school level

2) Some people believe that studying at university or college is the best route to a successful career,

while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school Discuss both views.

When they finish school, teenagers face the dilemma of whether to get a job or continue their education While there are benefits to getting a job straight after school, there are also good reasons why it might be beneficial to

go to college or university

Conclusion: In conclusion, there are convincing arguments for starting work straight after school, but higher education can also lead to a successful career

Remember, do a simple introduction, and then you can focus on the main paragraphs

!!! After you introduction you need to write 2 or 3 main body paragraphs This is the most important part of your essay

If you have been following this blog for a while, or if you have bought my ebook, you may have seen today's paragraph before However, I'm reusing it for 2 reasons:

1 It's a great example of how to write an "advantages" paragraph using a "firstly, secondly, finally" structure

2 There are some excellent comments from students below this lesson If you read them carefully, you will learn a lot

IELTS Writing Task 2: how to answer any question

SSS Today I want to show you what happens in my brain when I see any IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Here are my thinking steps:

1 I read the question very carefully, maybe three times I ask myself "What's the topic? What is the question asking me to write about?"

2 I underline the key things that must be included in the essay I always answer every part of the question

3 Now I think about my 4 paragraph structure I can write any type of essay in 4 paragraphs; I just need to decide what to put in each paragraph

4 If I need to give my opinion, I think "What is the easiest opinion to explain? What good vocabulary could I use?"

5 Then I write down some vocabulary ideas that are related to the topic

6 I try to write 2 sentences for the introduction: I introduce the topic, then give a simple answer (including

my opinion if the question asks for it)

7 I write short 'topic sentences' to start each paragraph, then develop my ideas by explaining and supporting with examples

8 I look at the question from time to time in order to check that I'm answering every part of it

9 I know that I write about 10 words per line; I can quickly check the approximate number of words that I've written

10 If I need more words (to reach 250), I expand one of my examples in the main body paragraphs If

necessary, I draw an arrow to show where I want to add the extra words

Several people have asked me about conclusions for IELTS Writing Task 2 The main body paragraphs are

much more important, so don't worry too much about the conclusion; make it short, simple and fast

Here are some example conclusion phrases for different types of question:

3 Advantages and Disadvantages

In conclusion, I would argue that the benefits of (topic) outweigh the drawbacks

4 Problem and Solution

In conclusion, it is clear that there are various reasons for (topic), and steps need to be taken to tackle this problem

How do I Write an IELTS Essay?

Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information

technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email However,

future developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive To what extent do you agree with this view?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge

An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter There are three key elements:

You should do just two things:

 State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts (that you may be able to take from the question)

 Say what you are going to write about

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many

advances in this field However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, it

can be argued that future IT developments will produce more negative effects than positive ones

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from the question Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and confirms the writers opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does)

View this lesson for more advice on writing IELTS essay introductions

2) Body Paragraphs

For an IELTS essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less

For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have sentences to support this

Lets look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs

Here is the first body paragraph:

To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster, resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every

conceivable subject is now available to us For example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and more convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to come

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two supporting ideas, which are

underlined No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would then lose coherence

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more negative effects in the introduction So the next two paragraphs are about these

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial For example, many people feel

that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and viruses Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up

3) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

 Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in different words)

 Give some thoughts about the future

Here is an example:

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe developments relating to new technology in the future are likely to produce many negative effects that must be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts to individuals and society

287 words

IELTS Writing Task 2: before you start writing

Before you start writing your task 2 essay, you need to do two things:

1 Plan your overall essay structure (ideally 4 paragraphs)

2 Spend some time thinking of ideas for the main body paragraphs

IELTS Writing Task 2: advantages and disadvantages

Albert sent me this recent exam question:

In many countries nowadays, young single people no longer stay with their parents until they are married, but leave to study or work somewhere else Do you think this trend has more advantages or disadvantages?

Here are some tips to help with this kind of question:

1 Notice that the question includes the words "do you think" This tells you that you need to give your own opinion,

as well as discussing both the advantages and disadvantages Put your opinion in the introduction and conclusion,

and don't be afraid to use the word "I" (e.g I believe) to make it clear what you think

2 You won't be able to write a good essay if you don't plan your ideas first Spend 2-3 minutes noting down ideas for the advantages of leaving home before marriage, then 2-3 minutes writing notes for the disadvantages Then decide what your opinion is, according to whether you have more advantages or disadvantages

3 If you can't think of any ideas, start by thinking of some examples e.g Did you or any of your friends leave home before getting married? Do you know anyone who lived with their parents until they got married? What were the reasons and benefits or drawbacks of each decision?

IELTS Writing Task 2: method

For example, I now know that my 250-word essays usually contain 13 to 15 sentences: 2 for the introduction, 5 to

6 for each main paragraph and 1 sentence for the conclusion It takes me 10 minutes to write a good plan, 5

minutes to write an introduction, I have 2 main ways of writing main paragraphs etc etc

The question is: Do you have a clearly defined method? Do you repeatedly practise writing essays in the same way?

IELTS Writing Task 2: topic sentences

A good way to start a paragraph is with a short, simple sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph Teachers often call this a „topic sentence‟

I normally write my topic sentences by thinking about how many points I want to mention in the paragraph:

1 If I only have one point or idea, I usually state it straight away:

In my opinion, junk food is the main cause of childhood obesity

(then explain this opinion and give examples in the rest of the paragraph)

2 If I have two or three points or ideas, I don’t usually mention them directly in the topic sentence:

There are two main causes (or „several causes‟) of childhood obesity

(then explain using “firstly, secondly ” or something similar)

IELTS Writing Task 2: firstly, secondly, finally

A few people have asked me whether using "firstly, secondly, finally" to organise a paragraph is too easy

My answer is that using easy organising language like "firstly, secondly, finally" allows you to focus on the real content of what you are writing - topic vocabulary, collocations, examples This is what the examiner wants to see

You can get a band 9 using "firstly, secondly, finally" if the ideas between these linking words are good

Some simple alternatives to "firstly, secondly, finally" could be:

 The main reason why I believe is / Another argument is / Also,

 One problem is that / Furthermore, / Another drawback is that

 From a business perspective, / In terms of education, / From a social point of view,

Main body "advantages" paragraph (band 9):

There are several advantages to using computers in education Firstly, students learn new skills which will be extremely useful for their future jobs For example, they learn to write reports or other documents using a word processor, and they can practise doing spoken presentations using PowerPoint slides Secondly, technology is a powerful tool to engage students The use of websites or online videos can make lessons much more interesting, and many students are more motivated to do homework or research using online resources Finally, if each student has a computer to work on, they can study at their own pace

Paragraph about the purpose of prisons:

On the one hand, criminals do need to be punished in some way A person who commits a crime must learn that unlawful actions have consequences Prison sentences punish offenders because they lose their freedom, and are separated from family and friends In this way, prison acts as a deterrent to make people think carefully before breaking the law Last year in the UK, many people were given a prison sentence for rioting, and hopefully this punishment will deter them from similar behaviour in future

 Sentence 5 contains a real example

 Remember that good vocabulary is the key to a high score I've underlined the best words and phrases in the paragraph

IELTS Writing Task 2: the 10-minute plan

If you are struggling to improve your score for writing task 2, the solution might be to spend more time planning before you start writing

I asked the students on my most recent one-day course to spend 10 minutes planning a question about whether the only purpose of prisons is to punish people Here are the ideas that my students had:

Paragraph 2: prisons do punish offenders

Punishment makes offenders think, reflect, feel sorry, understand the consequences (that we have choices about the actions we take), suffering, revenge / justice for victims, debt to society, taking away freedom and privileges, miss family, deter people from committing crimes in future - fear of prison

Paragraph 3: other purposes of prisons

Reflection time, rehabilitation - help the prisoner to prepare for normal life: new skills, education, courses,

qualifications, treatment - reform, reeducate, find employment, re-enter society - address the root causes of crime With a plan like this, you should find it easier to write a great essay

IELTS Writing Task 2: answer all parts of the question

A student sent me the following question:

The role of prisons should be to punish criminals who have committed serious crimes Training courses and education offered to prisoners are a waste of taxpayer's money To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The student who sent me this question noticed that it contains two sub-topics:

1 Should the role of prisons be to punish serious criminals, not petty criminals (less serious criminals)?

2 Are training courses and education a waste of money?

Apparently there is a model essay for this question which only addresses the second sub-topic I think that would

be a mistake; you should try to answer all parts of the question

In this case, the two sub-topics help you because they tell you what you should write about in your two main body paragraphs Always study the question carefully, and make sure you know exactly what it is asking you to do!

IELTS Writing Task 2: idea, explain, example

A good way to write main body paragraphs is this:

Start with an idea; Explain it in detail; Give an example

Here's an example of how I 'build' a paragraph using the above method:

Should competition be encourage in any stage of life, to what extent do you agree or disagree?

A sense of competition is necessary for success in life, and should therefore be encouraged Competition motivates children to get good grades at school or become better at sports, while adults compete to climb the career ladder In

a job interview, for example, candidates compete to show that they are the most qualified, hard-working and competent person for the post

IELTS Writing Task 2: plan your main paragraphs

Before you start writing your task 2 essay, you need a plan:

1 First, think about how you could write 2 main body paragraphs What would be the main idea/topic of each one?

2 Then make some notes for the first main paragraph Your notes could follow this formula: Idea, Explain, Example

3 Do the same thing for the second main paragraph

Here's an example question with a few ideas below:

People nowadays work hard to buy more things This has made our lives generally more comfortable, but many traditional values and customs have been lost and this is a pity

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

1 I can see two clear ideas in this question: 1) buying things has made our lives more comfortable 2) Traditional values and customs have been lost I agree with both of these points, so I'll write one paragraph explaining why I agree with the first point, and another paragraph explaining the second point

2 Idea: buying things has made life more comfortable Explain/Examples: we buy appliances like microwave ovens and dishwashers; we use computers to shop online; more people own a car

3 Idea: traditional values and customs have been lost Explain/Examples: people buy microwave meals rather than cooking traditional dishes; traditional local shops disappear and are replaced with online shopping; people are more independent, but lack a sense of community

IELTS Writing Task 2: agree, disagree, or both?

For 'agree or disagree' essays, do you think you should give both sides of the argument or just one side? The

answer is that you can do either

A) Essay structure for one side of the argument:

1 Introduction: topic + your opinion (either agree or disagree)

2 First idea to support your opinion

3 Second idea to support your opinion

4 Conclusion: repeat your opinion

B) Essay structure for giving both sides:

1 Introduction: topic + say that you 'partly agree'

2 On the one hand,

3 On the other hand,

4 Conclusion: repeat that you accept elements of both arguments

Remember: it's very important to get the introduction right This tells the examiner whether you are going to give one side of the argument or both sides

IELTS writing task 2 - the format to write

SSS Usually the question tells you to "discuss both views" or it asks whether you "agree or disagree" However, sometimes the question looks different:

Competitiveness is considered to be a positive quality among people

How does competitiveness affect individuals? Is competitiveness a positive or negative quality?

Notice that the question above gives you the topic (competitiveness) and then two questions I call this a part" question

"two-For this kind of question, just write 4 paragraphs (see below), and make sure you write an equal amount for

paragraphs 2 and 3

1 Introduction: topic + general response

2 Answer the first question

3 Answer the second question

4 Conclusion: repeat your response

The first question doesn't ask for positives - you can write about any effects (positive or negative) For the second question, give your opinion and explain it

Here's an example for introduction:

It is true that competitiveness is often seen as a necessary characteristic in today's world It is a quality that can affect people in both positive and negative ways, but overall I believe that it is a positive trait

IELTS Writing: 5 sentence paragraphs

When writing main body paragraphs for IELTS writing task 2, try to aim for five sentences For example:

1 Topic sentence (e.g There are several reasons why I believe )

2 First reason

3 Example

4 Second reason

5 Third reason

5 Explain why they disagree with the opposite view

Before you start writing it's a good idea to make some notes Try to organise your notes according to this

5-sentence paragraph structure

Here's a 5-sentence paragraph using the second plan

Some people believe that the salaries paid to professional sportspeople are too high, while others argue that sports

salaries are fair Discuss both views and give your opinion

Many people believe that sports professionals earn too much money They argue that sport is a form of

entertainment rather than a vital public service We could easily live without sportspeople, yet other professionals who contribute much more to society are undervalued and underpaid For example, football players can earn enormous salaries by simply kicking a ball, while doctors, nurses and teachers earn a fraction of the money despite being essential for our health and prosperity From this perspective, sports stars do not deserve the salaries they currently earn

As you can see, the paragraph explains the view that sportspeople earn too much money

Present situation 1-2 sentences

This essay will look at

Problems Topic Problem 1 Example Problem 2 Example Problem 3 Example Summary

Solutions Topic Solution 1 More Info Solution 2 More Info Solution 3 More Info

Conclusion Summary sentence(s) Future

Discussion ESSAY format

1: Introduction

Explain the background of the issue

In recent years; Nowadays; Over the past twenty years…

2: For

Arguments in favour of introducing English tuition in kindergarten (one or two paragraphs)

Some people think; They say; It’s true that …

3: Against

Arguments against doing this (one or two paragraphs)

On the other hand; Other people would argue; One example of this is …

4: Conclusion

Your own personal opinion based on all the arguments

Overall; Having looked at both sides; In conclusion …

A Basic Essay Format * The way to write argumentive essay

A good way to approach an essay is to envision it as a Five Part project An essay is made up of the Introduction, Three main points (the body), and the Conclusion So it looks like this:

I Introduction

II Point One

III Point Two

IV Point Three

V Conclusion

The Intro…

An Introduction should answer three questions

1 What am I talking about in this paper?

By answering this question you let the reader know what the subject of the paper is For example, if your paper were about

a particular book, your answer to this question would give the title, author, and any other necessary information

2 How am I going to talk about it?

This is where you let the reader know how your paper is organized Here you very briefly introduce your main points or the evidence that will prove your point

3 What am I going to prove in this paper?

This is the dreaded THESIS STATEMENT The thesis is usually the last sentence in the first paragraph and it clearly states the argument or point you are making in your paper

The Body…

The Body consists of everything between your intro and conclusion and it is where you discuss your three main points A good starting place is to envision that each point is a separate paragraph (or in a long paper each point might be a section)

In each paragraph you:

• Introduce your point

• Explain your point

• Give supporting evidence (this is where quotes go!)

• Explain how the point and evidence relate to your thesis

The whole point of each paragraph is to relate your point to your thesis, but it helps to spell it out clearly in at least one sentence of the paragraph

The Conclusion…

Basically, the conclusion restates the introduction So just reiterate questions 1, 2, and 3 It is also helpful to trace your argument as you made it within the essay A good way to do this is to create a proof that might look something like this:

the way to develop paragrahs for "AGREE/DISAGREE " Essay

introduction:

-background statement :- key theme

-detail background:- detail about key theme

-thesis:- your opinion

body 1:- rephrase the main topic

* partly "agree" with this paragraph Use "modals to write this paragraph

*- write reasons in this paragraph

-do not provide "why" for any reason

Conclusion:-

- rephrase your "agreement /disagreement"

- provide suggestion

-"do not write essay more than 265 words"

* use " linkers :- however, moreover, furthermore

* use complex and simple sentences

* brain storming of 5 min before beginning the task is good to achieve more bands

Planning IELTS essays and finding ideas

Problem 1 – not enough ideas

This is one of most common reasons for candidates to go wrong in the writing paper They see a question Try to think of ideas Come up empty and panic You will find part of my solution to this below For now, I will just say that you need very few ideas to write a good essay and those ideas can be simple ideas too Don‟t buy a book on ideas for essays, instead learn this tip:

Tip – you need only 2 ideas to write an essay and those ideas are often found in the question

Problem 2 – the ideas are confused

This is also a very common mistake There are plenty of ideas to write an essay The problem is that the reader/examiner does not know what the main ideas are

Tip – make sure you have one main idea per paragraph This should be clear from the first sentence of the paragraph

Problem 3 – too many ideas

Yes, some people do have too many ideas This is a trap for candidates aiming for a high score In particular, if they are used to writing academic essays IELTS is a 250 word essay marked on language That means it is probably much shorter than you are used to and there are no marks for quality and quantity of ideas

Tip – select only enough ideas to write a complete essay – that means one per paragraph

Finding ideas for essays

Step 1 – understand the difference between ideas, reasons and examples

When I ask my students in a class for “ideas”, they quite often stare at me in silence When I ask them the question

“why” or ask them to give me an example, they (normally!) have plenty to say That should tell you there is a difference between ideas, reasons (why) and examples The good news is ideas are not the problem in IELTS, what you need are reasons and examples They are normally much easier to find

A paragraph is one idea: supported with reasons and examples You only need two ideas

Step 2 – learning where to find ideas for essays?

The ideas you need for an essay are nearly always found in the question They are typically so big that you think they are too easy to be a real idea That‟s the trap What do I mean? Take this example:

Human activities have endangered many animal and plant species Some people think it is too late to save them, while others think humans should still take some action Discuss both views and express your own opinions

This is one of the harder questions I have seen recently, but the ideas you need are simple enough

1 It is too late to save endangered species

2 It is not too late to save species

It is that easy Those two ideas are your two main topic paras All you need now are some reasons and examples

Step 3 – finding reasons and examples – ask yourself questions

Here you have different options One trick is simply ask yourself the questions “why?” or “how?” or “when?” or what?” That is often enough

Step 4 – thinking vocabulary gives you more “ideas”

This is something else I use with my students a lot It might also work for you The concept is that once you have words, then “ideas” come naturally from those words Try thinking of “planning words” and see if it works for you

What to plan – vocabulary and examples

Most text books suggest planning ideas This is hard to do in practice when you are under pressure in the exam

My suggestion is to focus first on vocabulary and examples Vocabulary will give you ideas and examples will allow you to develop those ideas in coherent paragraphs

Organising and selecting your ideas reasons and examples

Key concept – one idea per paragraph supported by reasons and examples

Look at these two sample paragraphs from the essay and see how I use simple ideas from the question:

Much of the argument against taking any action to save these species is that the process is irreversible Just to take one example, there are now so few Giant Pandas left in the wild, they will in all probability become extinct in the foreseeable future There are simply too few bamboo forests left in order for them to survive This is also the case with many other endangered species who have lost, or are losing, their natural habitat

Notes

The first sentence outlines what the paragraph is about It is the idea from the question: Some people think it is too late to save them The rest of paragraph is an explanation of that idea

1 Giant Pandas arre threatened and will die out (example)

2 Problem with habitat (extended example)

3 Other species have same pattern (explanation of example)

The opposite view is that it is the responsibilty of mankind to act and try and save these species for posterity There is

a moral aspect to this argument because most of these species are only endangered because of man’s actions and it is our duty to make amends Another consideration is that advances in science, especially in the field of genetics, mean that we may be able to recreate some of their lost habitats It is no longer the case that the only option is to preserve these species for future generations in zoos and botanical gardens

Notes

You should see that this paragraph follows almost the same model There is one clear and simple idea in the first sentence It relates back to the question words: while others think humans should still take some action The rest of the paragraph explains that idea:

moral duty because it is our fault (reason why)

science can now help through genetics (second reason why)

zoos are not the only solution (extended second reason why)

Key concept – you don’t need to include all your reasons and examples

My “notes” for this essay included all this They are my notes, so you don‟t need to understand them all What I want you to see is that I have not included everything In an academic essay I might have Here I have selected the ideas that were easiest to write about

 zoos (example)

 breed in captivity (example extended)

 preservation (how)

 giant pandas (example)

 medical benefits (why)

 loss of habitat (why)

 river dolphins (example)

 moral responsibility (why)

Key concept – balance your paragraphs

There are a number of different possible essay structures My default (normal) structure is to have 2 paragraphs that balance each other – it is surprising how often this structure works It is good for the coherence of the essay, it also makes it easier to write – especially if you are short of “ideas” You use the second content paragraph can reflect the ideas in the first paragraph, but from the opposite point of view

Much of the argument against taking any action to save these species is that the process is irreversible Just to take one example, there are now so few Giant Pandas left in the wild, they will in all probability become extinct in the foreseeable future There are simply too few bamboo forests left in order for them to survive This is also the case with many other endangered species who have lost, or are losing, their natural habitat

The opposite view is that it is the responsibilty of mankind to act and try and save these species for posterity There is

a moral aspect to this argument because most of these species are only endangered because of man’s actions and it is our duty to make amends Another consideration is that advances in science, especially in the field of genetics, mean that we may be able to recreate some of their lost habitats It is no longer the case that the only option is to preserve these species for future generations in zoos and botanical gardens

Complex sentence structure

Use of “ ALTHOUGH ”

WHAT'S THEIR DIFFERENCE?

A ‘ Though ’ is the conjunction of choice at the end of the sentence;

Example: 'He was seriously offended by his accusations, he didn’t talk back though.’

B If you’ll use ‘although’ then you need to shift the sentence a bit by placing the said conjunction in the middle

Example: He was seriously offended by his accusations, although he didn’t talk back.’

Example:

She still managed to smile, although/though she was angry

Although/Though she was angry, she still managed to smile

Please have a look at the following sentences:

1.Although I was not expected to do this job, yet I have done it

2 Although I was not expected to this job, I have done it

3 I have done this job although I was not expected to do it

4 I have done this job, I was not expected to it although

Use of “HOWEVER ”

However- joins two sentences

It was hard However, he managed to do it

Although- joins two clauses

Although it was hard, he managed to do it

Despite/In spite of - join a noun phrase to the clause

despite the difficulty, he managed to do it

• However, I will let you know

• I’m not sure of the outcome; however, I will let you know as soon as this is clear

Use of “IF ”

if + Simple Past, main clause with Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation

The main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence In this case, don't use a comma

Example: I would send her an invitation if I found her address

Note: Main clause and / or if clause might be negative See Simple Past und Conditional I on how to form negative

sentences

Example: If I had a lot of money, I wouldn’t stay here

Use of “ Eventually ”

Examples

• Eventually, the ice cream will melt

• Eventually, you'll figure out that this has nothing to do with Biology

• There was eventually a black president

• Eventually, the world will run out of fossil fuel

Another words for eventually

finally, ultimately, sooner or later, in the end, in due course, in time, at the end of the day, in the long run

Use “ INDEED”

-Used to emphasize a statement or response confirming something already suggested

Examples

Indeed, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Indeed, the big banks have well and truly moved in, partly explaining why Australia has four of the world's most valuable 20 banks and

Indeed, if you wait too long for the first caffe latte, you'll probably fantasise about crawling back under the duvet and starting over

Use of “INFACT”

Another word to in fact

genuinely, irrefutably, in reality, actually, really, in fact, as it happens, in truth, as a matter of fact

examples

In fact, the murder rate, and the absolute number of gun-related deaths in Australia has been falling in recent years

In fact, it is supposed that a severe earthquake had been experienced in Sumatra, concurrent with the other disturbances in the Strait of Sunda

!!! MOST COMON 100 VOCABULARY THAT CAN BE USED TO GAIN MORE BANDS IN IELTS writing TASK 2

1 abate: reduce or lesson

2 abdicate: give up a position

3 aberration: something unusual, different from the

norm

4 abhor: to really hate

5 abstain: to refrain from doing something

6 adversity: hardship, misfortune

7 aesthetic: pertaining to beauty

8 amicable: agreeable

9 anachronistic: out of the context of time, out of date

10 arid: very dry

11 asylum: sanctuary, place of safety

12 benevolent: friendly, helpful

13 bias: a prejudice towards something or against

something

14 boisterous: enthusiastic, loud

15 brazen: bold

16 brusque: short, rude

17 camaraderie: togetherness, trust, group dynamic of

trust

18 canny: careful

19 capacious: very large, spacious

20 capitulate: surrender

21 clairvoyant: can predict the future

22 collaborate: work together

27 conformist: someone who follows the majority

28 convergence: coming together

29 deleterious: harmful

30 demagogue: rabble-rousing leader

31 digression: straying from main point

32 diligent: hard-working, dedicated

33 discredit: dishonor someone, prove something untrue

34 disdain: to regard with scorn

35 divergent: moving apart, going in different directions

36 empathy: feeling someone else’s feeling

37 emulate: following someone else's example

38 enervating: tiring

39 ephemeral: fleeting, temporary

40 evanescent: not lasting long

47 foster: promote, aid

48 fraught: filled with

49 frugal: thrifty

50 hackneyed: clichéd

51 haughty: being arrogant, talking down to people

52 hedonist: person who acts in pursuit of pleasure

53 hypothesis: unproven theory, educated guess

54 impetuous: rash, impulsive

55 impute: to assign or attribute to someone

56 inconsequential: without consequence, trivial, doesn't

matter

57 inevitable: unavoidable, definitely going to happen

58 intrepid: fearless

59 intuitive: knowing something by instinct

60 jubilation: extreme happiness, joy

61 lobbyist: person who takes one side or the other, and

persuades government officials

62 longevity: long (particularly long life)

63 mundane: boring, ordinary

64 nonchalant: casual, calm, at ease

65 opulent: wealthy

66 orator: speaker

67 ostentatious: flaunting wealth

68 parched: freed from water, dried up

69 perfidious: disloyal

70 pragmatic: practical

71 precocious: gifted/talented beyond one's years

72 pretentious: being self important, thinking you are better than others

73 procrastinate: to delay, often unnecessarily

74 prosaic: ordinary

75 prosperity: wealth

76 provocative: causes a fuss, inflammatory, likely to get people riled up

77 prudent: careful, wise

78 querulous: irritable, prone to argument

79 rancorous: hateful, unpleasant

80 reclusive: hermit, withdrawn

81 reconciliation: coming back together after a disagreement

82 renovation: being new, being redone

83 restrained: controlled, not free

84 reverence: deep respect

85 sagacity: wisdom

86 scrutinize: to look at carefully

87 spontaneous: being impulsive, acting without thinking

88 spurious: false, untrue

89 submissive: mild, meek

90 substantiate: to confirm, prove

91 subtle: shy, small, not showy

92 superficial: shallow

93 superfluous: unnecessary, too much

94 surreptitious: secret

95 tactful: polite

96 tenacious: persistent stubborn

97 transient: temporary, impermanent

98 venerable: respectable because of its age

99 vindicate: to free from blame 100 wary: careful, watchful

The informal words below are best avoided in Academic IELTS The neutral words are „fine‟ for the Speaking module, but you really should learn the formal equivalents if you want to score highly in the Academic Writing module

Informal (Avoid) Neutral (Spoken) Formal (Written)

Kids (younger) Babies, Children Infants, Offspring

Kids (older) Teenagers Adolescents, Youths

Old people Elderly people Senior citizens, Retirees

Crooks Criminals Offenders, Lawbreakers

OK, Alright Fine Acceptable, Satisfactory

Great, Awesome Good Preferable, Desirable

Rubbish, Useless Bad, Poor Unsatisfactory, Unacceptable

- Kind, Friendly Sociable, Neighbourly

Nasty, Cheeky (person) Rude, Impolite Abusive, Disagreeable

Stupid, Crazy, Dumb (idea) - Misguided, Questionable

Stupid, Crazy, Dumb (person) - Misguided, Mistaken

- Happy (person) Satisfied, Delighted

- Happy (situation) Satisfying, Delightful

- Sad (situation) Regrettable, Distressing

Sick of, Fed up with Tired of Dissatisfied with

- Poor (country) Developing, Poverty-stricken

- Poor (person) In poverty, Underprivileged

Contractions such as don’t are fine in IELTS Speaking but it is better to use do not in the Academic Writing module Casual forms such as gonna and dunno should only ever be used in the Speaking test and NEVER in

Writing

!!! AVOID INFORMAL VOCABULARY :

Formal and informal vocabulary:-

Informal:- Formal

1 Time :- eternity, generation, chronology, interval

2 Person:- human being, individual, personage, character

3 Year:- century, duration, century , moment, centennial,

4 Way:- approach, action, expedient, manner,

5 Day:- astronomical day, dawn-to-dark, diurnal course, epoch, interim, ERA, lifetime, millennium, span

6 Thing:- apparatus, commodity, configuration, device, gadget, instrument, article, attribute,

7

8 World:- atmosphere, subsistence, globe, universe

9 Life:- breath, entity, liveliness, essence, impulse

10 Hand:- grasp, extremity, metacarpus, assistance,

11 Part:- allotment, articulation, installment, quantum,

12 Child:- adolescent, anklebiter, infant, tadpole, descendant,

13 Eye:- appreciation, belief, conviction, discernment, discrimination, scrutinize, consider, contemplate

14 :-

15 Place:- abode, accommodation, apartment, area, domicile, neighborhood, residence, vicinity, suburb,

16 Work:- assignment, endeavor, drudge,

17 Week:- chronology, interim,

18 Case:- argument, EVIDENCE, petition, process,

19 Point:- iota, fleck, apex, claw, promontory, degree, condition

20 Government:- bureaucracy, authority, jurisdiction, regime, predominance,

21 Company:- assembly, clique, aggregation, assemblage,

22 Number:- abundance, amount, calculation, aggregate, numerate,

23 Group:- accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, cluster, crew, organization

24 Problem:- dilemma, disagreement, mess, predicament, worriment

25 Fact:- actuality, authenticity, basis, certitude, permanence, verity,

2 get:- access, acquire, attain, inherit, apprehend,

3 make:- accomplish, assemble, compose, fabricate, originate, procreate, conduct,

4 go:- abscond, approach, flee, journey, travel,

5 know:- acknowledge, recognize, apprehend, comprehend, distinguish, acquainted

6 take:- abduct, abstract, borrow, filch, confiscate,

7 see:- contemplate, detect, discern, , gaze, observe, notice, recognize,

8 come:- appear, arrive, join, accumulate, amass, reach

9 think:- conceive, assume, determine, expect, imagine, judge, presume

10 look:- attention, gaze, introspection, review, sight, view, admire, notice, observe,

11 want:- desire, demand, necessity, need, wish, ache, aspire, ambition,

12 give:- allow, convey, deliver, devote, present, retreat,

13 use:- appropriateness, exercising, exertion, usability, exercise,

14 find:- acquire, attain, obtain, procure, deduce, search

15 tell:- announce, express, say, ascertain, perceive,

16 ask:- examine, interrogate, inquire, address, contest, propose,

17

18 Seem:- assume, intimate, insinuate, imply, pretend, resemble,

19 Feel:- exhibit, sense, assume, repute, discern, acknowledge, presume, conjecture

20 Try:- effort, endeavor, trial, whirl, judge, agonize,

21 Leave:- allowance, assent, authorization, concession, dispensation,

22 Call:- ahoy, command, tweet, hail,

it is always mandatory to use formal words in "ielts writing task " to achieve more bands the lack of knowledge and guidance , however, sometimes do not provide success even after a hardcore studies "

Writing Task 2 - Useful Language

Here are some useful headers that you can use in your Writing Task 2

Expressing Views

I would argue that

I firmly believe that

It seems to me that

I tend to think that

People argue that

Some people think/say that

It is understood that

It is generally accepted that

Refuting an Argument

I am unconvinced that

I don’t believe that

It is hard to accept that

There is little evidence to support

To be more precise Here I’m (not) referring to

Providing Support For example For instance

A good example of this is Indeed

Presenting First of all…

I’d like to begin with Secondly/ Then I’d like to move on to…

Not forgetting the matter of Before we go any further, let us look at

Last but not least there’s

To summarise,

To conclude

Generalising Generally speaking,…

There are in the region of …

On the whole

As a rule

Vocabulary

Museum

building, depository, exhibition, exhibits archive, foundation, gallery, hall, institution, library, menagerie, repository, salon, storehouse, treasury, vault

Art

adroitness, aptitude, artistry, craft, craftsmanship, dexterity, expertise, facility, imagination, ingenuity, inventiveness, knack, know-how, knowledge, mastery, method, profession, trade, virtuosity

Internet

ARPANET, W3, WWW, World Wide Web, cyberspace, hyperspace, infobahn, information highway, information

superhighway, national information infrastructure, online network, the Net, the Web

• life expectancy (e.g The average life expectancy in many counties is increasing and this is leading to…)

• demographics (e.g The average life expectancy in many counties is increasing and this is leading to a change in the demographics, with a higher proportion of old people becoming the norm.)

• Isolated (e.g Nowadays, there are many elderly people who are socially isolated…)

• chronic (e.g Nowadays, there are many elderly people who are socially isolated and who suffer from chronic health problems.)

• Status (e.g In some cultures, old people have a high social status and…)

• respect (e.g In some cultures, old people have a high social status and are shown a lot of respect from the younger generations.)

Synonyms

Government

administration, authority, dominion, execution, governance, law, polity, rule, sovereignty, state, statecraft

2 administration, executive, ministry, powers-that-be, regime

3 authority, command, control, direction, domination, guidance, management, regulation, restraint, superintendence, supervision, sway

Mass Media

broadcasting, electronic media, information media, media, press, radio, television

information

network, notice, notification, orientation, propaganda,

comprehension, consciousness, discernment, enlightenment, experience, news, opinion, persuasion, prescription,

proposal,

people

human beings, humanity, humans, mankind, men and women, mortals, persons

2 citizens, clan, community, family, folk, inhabitants, nation, population, public, race, tribe

3 commonalty, crowd, general public, grass roots, hoi polloi, masses, mob, multitude, plebs, populace, proles proletariat, rabble, rank and file, the herd

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: information, revelation

Synonyms: account, advice, announcement, broadcast, bulletin, cable, cognizance, communication, communiqué, copy, data, description, disclosure, discovery, dispatch, enlightenment, exposé,

Below is a 'band 9' paragraph about the benefits of zoos I took the vocabulary ideas from this lesson (click here) and organised them in the following way:

1 Simple topic sentence

2 The main benefit is that

3 Another advantage of zoos is that

4 From a personal point of view,

I've underlined the band 9 vocabulary

Zoos have several benefits The main benefit is that zoos play an important role in wildlife conservation They help

to protect endangered species, such as pandas or rhinos, and allow scientists to study animal behaviour Another advantage of zoos is that they employ large numbers of people, therefore providing job opportunities and income for the local area Also, the money that zoos make can be used for conservation projects From a personal point of view, zoos are interesting, educational and fun They are entertaining for families, and teach children to appreciate wildlife and nature

 Think 3 to 4 minutes regarding your topic

 Make a “Spider Net Diagram” sketch on a paper

 Circle your main topic in the middle of paper and draw spider lines coming out from that circle

 Make points and attach those points with the lines coming out from main circle

 Make Points both Negative and Positive pertaining to your Topic

 Try to confine your positive points on one side and negative points on the other side

IELTS Package: Spider-Net Technique for Essay Writing:

As per the IELTS Package recommendation, it is always advised that you must practice more and more for this “Spider Net Technique” and try to link ideas with each other to expand your essay, but ideas should be logical For Instance, if someone

asks you to write an essay on “Child Labor”, than how you will be writing and brainstorming within a minute? The solution

is always “ Spider Net Technique ”, by which you can make points instantly and can start writing

From the above example it is evident that you can make points instantly IELTS Package, always advice students to

correlate one topic with other For example, if you are talking about “Alcohol” than you must think about its impact on society, health, psychology, and associated crime Similarly, if you are going to discuss the topic “Role of Media” than you must think about media & society, media & news, its advantages, disadvantages, media and marketing, media & business development, however on negative side we can discuss, media and psychological problems, media and health issues etc

Note:

IELTS package informs all students that the key success in this Writing Task 2 is basically a connection between your ideas to make a genuine flow in your writing Also, to make a flow in writing the best possible solution is “Spider-Net Technique”, because with this technique you are just writing down all your ideas, which are actually helpful for your

essay Secondly, for your IELTS test preparation, it is advised that you must be reading different topics and not just stick with your field of specialization, so that you may be having a lot more information to correlate your ideas within an essay

Many developing countries have welcomed foreign companies, while others think that local businesses should

be protected and supported instead Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

OUR TRICK:-

Topic;- discussion

Subject;- welcoming foreign companies; local business safety

Question:- why people introducing foreign companies?

How can we protect local business?

Brain storming:- IDEAS

GOLDEN RULE TO REMEMBER:- EVERY ESSAY IS “SUBJECT”

why people introducing foreign companies?

SUBJECTS;-

Science:- advanced things in economic cost

Economics:- less taxation

Civil:- customer satisfaction and different equipments

Geography:-can be sold worldwide

How can we protect local business?

SUBJECTS;-

Science:- scientific research and experiments on new manufacturing

Economics:- high scale production

Civis:- standardizing it

Geography:-opening various outlets

Explanation

Background sentence - Opinions of the people differ on a new product and companies when launched into a new region or

country

Detailed background: - The some experts insight the change as demanding and well for the country But the opposition

struggle for the existence of their confined business

Thesis; - For me, both opinions are favorable as it can be explained in detailed

in near to every cities of country

Topic sentence and reasons:-

It is a considering issue why people introduce new foreign companies? To an account, the first and the foremost reason is advanced items in economic cost

Therefore, a country should pioneer international brands in near to every cities of country

@ in every paragraph, it should be written in the same way

An Example of the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing

It's very difficult to visualize and understand all the things that I have said above You need to practice with good quality questions from IELTS practice tests Here I will try and provide you with an example question and then go through the stages of thought to show you how to approach an IELTS Task 2 essay

Here is a possible question that would be typical for a Task 2 essay question

"Do you believe that societies ought to enforce capital punishment or Are there alternative forms of punishment that would be better used?"

First of all you need to consider the question What does it ask? Straight away, you can see that it asks 2 things

It wants to know if you believe that society should use capital punishment (cp) and it also wants to know if you can offer any alternatives to capital punishment Your answer should give a balanced view of both parts of this question What is important to realize is that there is no correct answer here You can present any point of view as long as you can support it

So, in your planning stage you should have a roadmap for the introduction, each paragraph and the conclusion Here is my brief plan for the essay

1 Inhumane - we shouldn't sink to the level of criminals

2 We can get convictions wrong; prisoners can be released if there's an error Mentally ill Examples

3 Alternative punishments: life means life; hospitals for criminally insane Costs more but society has a duty to care

4 Many countries favour it and they say it works Prisons too full Killers deserve nothing less Some crimes deserve it Not my morals though

Conclusion

I don't agree We can do other things Avoid mistakes and make modern society a humane one

The above is a basic plan of how I want to write my essay It's not rigid I can change my ideas and format as I write if I feel I can do better

I can also add things that I've forgotten as the essay goes on It's normal of course for you to have new, good ideas

as you write and the skill is to get them into your essay without upsetting the balance of the essay How do you do this? It's practice again You won't get good at writing essays and adapting your writing well without practice with relevant questions from quality IELTS practice tests

So, below is an example essay using the plan above as a basis

IELTS Writing Task 2: problem and solution

Behaviour in schools is getting worse Explain the causes and effects of this problem, and suggest some possible solutions Here are some ideas for two main body paragraphs:

Causes of bad behaviour in schools:

1 bad behaviour / lack of discipline

2 large classes / difficult to teach

3 disruptive students / family background

4 parents / lenient / spoil