IELTS EXPERT WRITING TASK 2 (basic) - PINES INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY

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PIA IELTS EXPERT COURSE

[Writing Task 2]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS - 1

INTRODUCTION - 2

WRITING INTRODUCTION IN TASK 2 - 5

PARAPHRASING - 6

BODY PARAGRAPHS IN TASK 2 - 16

WORKSHOP - 32

CONCLUSION - 42

PRACTICE ESSAY WRITING - 47

APPENDICIES Appendix A – Sample Questions & Answer - 61

Appendix B – Essay questions by Topic - 65

Appendix C – Vocabulary - 77

REFERENCE - 81

INTRODUCTION

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

The Writing Task 2 of the IELTS test requires you to write at least 250 words You will be presented with a topic and will be tested on your ability to respond by giving and justifying an opinion, discussing the topic, summarizing details, outlining problems, identifying possible solutions and supporting what you write with reasons, arguments and relevant examples from your own Knowledge or experience

QUESTION TYPES

It is very important to identify the question type in order to build ideas properly before starting

to write

 Agree or Disagree (Outweigh)

 Agree or Disagree (Discuss both views)

 Advantages and Disadvantages (Outweigh)

 Advantages and Disadvantages (Discuss both views)

 Cause & Effect

 Problem & Solution

HOW TO PRESENT YOUR ESSAY

Your essay should have at least four paragraphs The paragraph should include an introduction, two (body) paragraphs that show your opinions, arguments and examples It is important that you need to include a conclusion paragraph

BASIC STRUCTURE GUIDE

The body paragraph should be structured in a logical way

in order to present your idea clearly

Have a topic sentence for each paragraph that briefly introduces what the paragraph will be about

Provide an explanation to your topic sentence and elaborate

Provide an example to support your explanation This can

be a personal experience or news or well known facts

You must have a mixture of complex and simple sentences

CONCLUSION

Briefly summarize the main points that you have talked in body paragraphs

Write a concluding statement

Do not include any new ideas in this paragraph

TIPS

1) You should spend no more than 40 minutes on a writing task 2 and you should write at least 250 words

2) Interpret the question and understand essay structure

3) Brainstorm and plan your answer briefly Spend at least 5 minutes doing this It is okay for fast writers to spend up to 10 minutes, but no more

4) Stick to your opinion Introduction & conclusion must be in the same direction

5) Use synonyms and paraphrases where possible Try not to repeat words often

RECOMMENDED TIME FRAME FOR TASK 2

1 Question interpretation 2min

1 Task Achievement / Task Approach (TA)

Possible problems in:

Idea building – the ideas you present are off-topic or not specific enough

Tone – sounding like you have changed your mind about your ideas while you are writing

2 Coherence & Cohesion (CC)

Coherence: Make sure that anybody who reads the essay has the same understanding Cohesion: How well it connects

- Use of technical devices (connective words) : It is not just about using

connective words, it‟s important to know how to use them correctly

- Use of ideas which can be related or linked each other

- Make sure your essay is in a logical organization (Introduction & Conclusion

must be stating the same direction)

3 Lexical Resource (LR)

Make sure you are using vocabulary in the right context

Paraphrasing is an important skill that examiners consider when assessing your essay

4 Grammatical Range & Accuracy (GRA)

The most common mistakes amongst students are

- mis-matching the subject with the verb

- mistakes in writing active and passive forms

- missing articles or prepositions

WRITING INTRODUCTION IN TASK 2

1 The introduction is a way for you to introduce readers to your essay in order to convince them through your arguments

2 It must provide a general statement which show the context in which you are arguing from

3 You must introduce all the concepts and topics you wish to bring up within your essay‟s body

4 Make it clear to the reader what your stance is / Make it clear what your essay will be

3) Thesis:

Write a sentence which clearly states your stance/attitude towards the stimulus the question and this will outline the direction of your essay

General statement Paraphrase Thesis

PARAPHRASING

1 Find the key words in the task question

2 Find synonyms for those key words which are in the correct context

3 Try to change the sentence structure and length

- If you are given a task question which includes background, combine the two sentences into one shorter sentences

- If you are given a task question which is rather short, then add a little more detail as to which context you will write your essay from

Practice 1

Task: Some people think that teenagers should do unpaid work to help society because this will help them to get better individuals and also improve the society as a whole Discuss the

advantages and disadvantages

* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase

Answer

_ _ _ _

Practice 2

Task: Some people believe that the media, such as the press, TV and internet, should be more strictly controlled Others feel that control should be loosened to give people free

access to information Do you agree or disagree?

* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase

Answer

_ _ _ _ _

Practice 3

Task: Some people think environmental problems are too big for individuals to solve, while others think that governments cannot solve these environmental problems without

individuals‟ active participation Give your ideas and relevant experiences or examples

* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase

Answer

_ _ _ _ _

USING TEMPLATES

To meet the requirements in the marking rubric, use of a template is quite effective to start with IELTS writing Task 2 Template gives you a clear direction in your writing which already contains phrases that assist you with connecting ideas and making less error Without understanding of a template is, however, dangerous to use Here are the steps to utilize the template!

1 Understand the phrases first!!

2 Apply it into your own writing

3 Adjust it to your own writing style

4 Write it so many times that you go crazy

Useful templates for Introduction

1) General or Background statement

 With the advent of , there has been a growing concern on…

 The increasing attention concerning is a common situation throughout the world in our modern society Particularly, (paraphrase)…

 The question of _ has emerged as one of the most discussed issues of the modern era

2) Essay Outline or Paraphrase

 Some people believe that _, while others say that

 Some are of the opinion that… whereas others insist that _

 In relation to the trend, some hold the opinion that _

 It is often argued / considered / thought /said that _

 These days, there is no doubt that _

 A popular belief is that _

 It is widely believed that _

3) Thesis statement or Stance

a agree or disagree/ to what extent / what is your opinion

 I personally believe/ agree / disagree that _ There are two main reasons for this (These reasons are twofold.)

 From my point of view, _

 It seems to me that is an acceptable idea for the following reasons

 This essay agrees/disagrees that because of the following grounds

b both views (and give your opinion)

 This essay will explore / discuss both points of view

 In this essay, both points of view will be explored before

c advantages and disadvantages

 This essay will explore / discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

 In this essay, both points of view will be explored

 This essay will discuss the (main) advantage(s) followed by an analysis of the (main) disadvantage(s)

d cause and effect / problem and solution

 This essay will explore / discuss the (causes / problems) and (effects / solutions)

of _

 In this essay, both [(possible causes and effects) / (problems and possible

solutions)] will be explored

 This essay will analyze the principal problem(s) and offer solutions to this issue

Sample Question

There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is contributing to global warming and having other undesirable effects on people‟s health and well-being To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Sample answers (introduction)

1 With the advent of technology, there has been a growing concern on health and environment There is no doubt that the rise in global temperatures and human health

and fitness problems are often viewed as being caused by the expanding use of

automobiles I personally believe that the increase in the use of car has caused these

situations / this phenomenon The reasons are twofold

2 The increasing attention concerning the use of cars is a common situation throughout the world in our modern society Particularly, the rise in global

temperatures and human health and fitness problems are often viewed as being caused

by the expanding use of automobiles From my perspective, I agree with the

statement for two main reasons

3 The question of the use of cars has emerged as one of the most discussed issues

of the modern era It is widely believed that the rise in global temperatures and

human health and fitness problems are caused by the expanding use of automobiles I

personally agree with this statement The reasons are twofold

Practice writing an introduction

Practice Question 1

Professional athletes in popular sports like football (soccer) and basketball are overpaid To what extent do you agree or disagree?

_ _ _ _ _ _

Practice Question 2

An increasing number of students choose to spend time away from school to live abroad or gain some other meaningful experience before attending college What are the advantages and disadvantages of this choice?

_ _ _ _ _ _

Practice Question 3

These days technology performs many kinds of work that people once performed Many workers have lost their jobs and lack the necessary training to get a new job in the new technological economy What should be done to solve this problem?

_ _ _ _ _ _

Practice Question 4

Some people prefer to save money Others prefer to use their money on things they will enjoy What is the best approach towards money? Discuss both sides and give your opinion

_ _ _ _ _ _

Practice Question 5

Many children have access to the internet and devices like smart phones, even at very young ages Do you think this is a good trend? What rules should children follow related to internet and gadget use?

_ _ _ _ _ _

Practice Question 6

Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money could be better spent elsewhere To what extent do you agree with this view?

_ _ _ _ _ _

BODY PARAGRAPHS IN TASK 2

CONSTRUCTING THE BODY PARAGRAPH

The body paragraph should be structured in a logical way in order to present your idea clearly

1) Topic sentence

- This sentence briefly introduces what the paragraph will be about

- This point should reflect the main argument / point that you will be making

throughout the particular paragraph

- Your point must be simple and have a clear understanding for all readers as well as provide a starting point for readers to catch onto your ideas

- The evidence should be a realistic example that you are able to relate to

- Can be a personal experience or news or well known facts

- Your examples do not have to be factually true, but try to avoid using facts which

are obviously false

IDEA BUILDING

Idea building is such a broad area and is the key to successfully construct your body

paragraphs The most important thing is that you start to build an overall interest in social issue of society

Practice Idea building

“Some people think that planting trees in open spaces in cities and towns is more important than building houses To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Ex) completely agree – use city space for trees

be more active in outdoor activities.

Some people prefer doing some exercises in the parks where there are a lot of trees to enjoy fresh air

Answer

Concluding sentence So, trees give a better environment to live in

and play a part in helping people stay healthy

Your Turn

“Some people believe that governments should ban dangerous sports even though others claim they should have the freedom to choose a sport to their liking To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

“Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while others think it is a waste of valuable money What is your opinion?”

Transitions or Cohesive Devices

1) Topic sentence

First / Second / Third

The main reason is… Another reason is

One reason for this is that… Not only that, but also…

This can be explained by… Following this,

This can be attributed to the fact

that…

Another point worth mentioning is the fact that…

One major factor is… Another key point that I would like to

emphasize is the fact that…

To begin with… Equally important

On one hand,… On the other hand,…

2) Supporting details or explanation

Furthermore / Also / In addition In other words…

Besides / Moreover… To put it differently,…

What is more To put it in another way…

In other words

3) Example

For instance, / For example, A relevant example is…

To illustrate, … A striking example is…

As an illustration, A clear illustration is…

To cite someone‟s case as an

example, A frequently cited instance of this is…

This illustrates how… A good illustration of this is…

This example shows how… A common example for this is…

4) Others

a Effect / Result / Consequence

As a result, Therefore,

Under those circumstances, Then,

For this reason, Consequently,

In that case,

b Opposition / Limitation / Contradiction

Although this may be true, Despite

In contrast, However,

On the other hand, Rather, …

On the contrary, Nevertheless,

even so, be that as it may

Even though but then again

c Cause or Condition

if / when / whenever / since provided that

in order to in the event that

in case

Sample Task

Q: “Computers are being used more and more in education and some people believe there will soon be no role for the teacher in education To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Body 1:

Topic sentence The main reason why I think that teachers are essential is

because they encourage and discipline students

Supporting details

Many people find it difficult to be interested in learning new

things Therefore, educators are needed to make classes more

interesting and stimulate students‟ desire for learning

Example

A frequently cited instance of this is in the case of young

people in the cities, teachers often need to force students to learn through the use of punishments

Concluding

sentence So, teachers have an important part in classroom education

Body 2:

Topic sentence Another reason why teachers are needed is because they can

teach young people important skills and values

Supporting details

This is because educators serve as role models to their

students and teach them how to appropriately interact with

peers In the event that people learn using machines, they will

lose opportunity to learn important social skills and values

Example

To cite Japanese elementary pupils’ case as an example,

they are taught basic house chores in school to develop social skills and values of working together

Concluding

sentence

This illustrates the importance of what is taught in a classroom

setting that can never be learned through the use of computers

Practice 1

Read the following sentences and choose the best transition:

1 Polls show that Tony Blair is the most popular Prime Minister in this century _, there are even members of his own party who are uneasy with his approach

6 The Vice Chancellor explained that in light of the current financial climate and because

of unexpected bad debts, it would be necessary to peg salary levels at their current level for all grades of staff _, no one was getting a pay rise

c in the same way

9 Essays must be handed in the deadline, _ they will not be marked

Practice 2

Decide the best linking word to use in the following sentences:

1 (Whereas/ While / But) _ individuals can make a considerable difference

to environmental problems, they ought to be dealt with on a global scale to be solved effectively

2 Global warming is a prominent issue this days (due to / owing to / because) _ it has a direct impact on the climate of countries all over the world

3 (As a result / Consequently / Thus) of global warming, sea levels are rising which threaten many low lying lands

4 One of the best ways to deal with global warming is to reduce the emissions of fossil fuels, (specific / particularly / certainly) _ from industry

5 Global warming affects weather patterns and can cause extreme weather (namely /

as an example / like) _ heat waves, drought and flood

Practice 3

Fill in each blank with a transition from the box Use each transition only once

Reading a book is always much better than watching a movie based on a book

1 _ the saying „A picture is worth a thousand words‟, a book is able to give much more information than a movie can give The author can give the thoughts

of characters; 2 _ a movie usually conveys only the actions and words of

the characters A book can follow several characters and plot lines, but a movie usually has less than two hours to tell the story and must follow just a few characters

or one plot line The final 3 _ is one of imagination Each reader of a book

can create a different mental picture of the characters and scenes A movie,

4 _ can offer only the vision of the director and actors

these kinds kinds another type one type two kinds

Unwanted infants are protected by 5 _ of laws Both 6 _ deal

with parents who are unable to cope with the pressures of parenthood

7 _ of law punishes neglect Several states, such as Georgia and

Massachusetts, will put parents in jail for several years if they leave or abandon a

child 8 _ of law rewards parents for handing their unwanted children over

to authorities A number of states, such as South Carolina and California, have „safe

haven‟ laws 9 _ of laws allow parents to leave the unwanted child at a

church or hospital without being charged with a crime These laws are supposed to

lead to better treatment for the unwanted children

Uses of Modals

Modal verbs when writing or speaking have important functions which are:

1) Discussing degrees of certainty

- will, may, might and could are common to make logical deductions about a situation or

the future

Example:

Children with no father as a role model will become criminals (100%)

Children with no father as a role model may become criminals (possibility)

Children with no father as a role model could become criminals (possibility)

If the government spent more money on hospitals, people would be healthier

Other uses of Modals:

1) must and should - these are emphatic modal verbs that are used to express a necessity

Example: In my view, society as a whole must bear some of this responsibility

2) can and could – to make suggestions

Example: First, governments can ensure that its policies take interests of children

into account

3) would – indicate consequences of implementing a suggestion

Example: This would ensure that young people are continuously represented in the

Writing a complex sentence

When you are done with idea building, you should know how to write them into a paragraph in

a logical order

Repeated subjects in sentences

By getting rid of repetitive subjects in sentences, you are automatically building a hierarchy in your sentence and with these layers, you are naturally developing complex sentences

which, who, whoever, whom, that, whose, since, the fact that, assuming that, etc

1 One of the cameras was not packed very well It was damaged during the move

2 The experiment failed because of Murphy‟s Law This law states that if something can go wrong, it will

3 Doctor Campbell specializes in sports medicine She helped my cousin recover from a basketball injury

Structure of Body Paragraphs

Agree or disagree To what extent do you agree or

disagree / What is your opinion

Big salary is much more important than

job satisfaction Do you agree or

Advantages and Disadvantages

(and state your opinion)

Do the advantages outweigh the

disadvantages

OR Will this have more positive or

negative impacts

Computers are becoming an essential

part of education Discuss the

advantages and disadvantages and give

your opinion

People now have the freedom to work and live anywhere in the world due to the development of communication technology and transportation Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Organization:

disagree

body 1: discuss advantages1 & 2

body 2: discuss disadvantages 1& 2

(body 3: opinion)

Organization:

more benefits than drawbacks

body 1: benefit 1 body 2: benefit 2 body 3: drawback 1

or

body 1: benefit 1 benefit 2

Causes and Solutions to a Problem Two-part Question

These days technology performs many

kinds of work that people once

performed Many workers have lost their

jobs and lack the necessary training to

get a new job in the new technological

economy What should be done to solve

this problem?

Many children have access to the internet and devices like smart phones, even at very young ages Do you think this is a good trend? What rules should children follow related to internet and gadget use?

Organization:

body 1: causes of the problem

body 2: solutions to the problem

Organization:

body 1: answer to first question body 2: answer to second question [body 3: answer to third question]

WORKSHOP

Workshop Question 1

Question type: Agree or Disagree

“Professional athletes in popular sports like football (soccer) and basketball are overpaid To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Vocabulary

Structure

Introduction

Body 1 – state why you agree

Body 2 – state why you disagree

Introduction Body 1 – state why you disagree

Body 2 – state why you agree

Workshop Question 2

Question type: Advantages and Disadvantages

“An increasing number of students choose to spend time away from school to live abroad or gain some other meaningful experience before attending college What are the advantages and disadvantages of this choice?”

Vocabulary

Structure

Advantages & Disadvantages

Introduction Body 1 – advantages Body 2 – disadvantages

Workshop Question 3

Question type: Suggest solutions

“These days technology performs many kinds of work that people once performed Many workers have lost their jobs and lack the necessary training to get a new job in the new technological economy What should be done to solve this problem?”

Vocabulary

Structure

Solutions to the Problem

Introduction Body 1 – solution 1 Body 2 – solution 2

Workshop Question 4

Question type: Discuss both views

“Some people prefer to save money Others prefer to use their money on things they will enjoy What is the best approach towards money? Discuss both sides and give your opinion.”

Vocabulary

Structure

Discuss both sides + Opinion

Introduction Body 1 – side 1 + Opinion Body 2 – side 2 + Opinion