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Paraphrasing
Another important point - don't copy from the question! You must paraphrase (put it
in your own words). To do this you can use synonyms and move the order of the
sentence around.
Using some of the same words is acceptable, but don't copy whole phrases.
You can see how the question above has been paraphrased. All the information is from
the question, but it has been written in a different way and has not been copied.
Further Examples
Example 2:
Question:
Science and technology have helped the world make many advances. The
Arts, such as painting, theatre and dance, to name just three examples,
however, are also valuable.
What things do the Arts provide to the world that Science and Technology
do not?
Example 5:
Question:
Some people think children in secondary school should study international
news as part of the curriculum. Others think that this would be a waste of
time as there are already too many subjects for children to concentrate on.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
What you have to do (the task) is explain whether you think, overall, an increase in the
production of goods in other countries and their subsequent transportation over long
distances is more advantageous or disadvantageous.
So your essay is obviously going to be discussing the advantages and
disadvantages of this issue, and this is what needs to be made clear in your thesis
statement.
It is also an opinion essay as it is asking you to make a decision on whether you think
there are more advantages or disadvantages. So you need to make this clear as well.
Here is an example introduction, with the thesis in bold:
Due to the increase in global trade, many of the goods that we consume every day are made
in a different country and then transported over a long distance in order to reach us. In my
opinion, this trend has more disadvantages than advantages.
You would then go on to write about the advantages and disadvantages of global trade
(focusing more on the disadvantages as you think there are more of these).
*Just a quick note on the word 'outweigh'. This word often confuses students and they
end up writing a thesis statement opinion that contradicts what they write in the essay.
The simple answer - don't use the word! It is just asking you if there are more
advantages than disadvantages. So just state what you think in the thesis without using
the word, as in the example.
There are various ways you could choose to write an introduction and thesis for this.
Example 1
You could begin by paraphrasing the two opinions, then stating in the thesis what you
will do:
Some people belive that it is acceptable for young children to undertake jobs that they are paid
for, whereas others believe that this is wrong and should be illegal. This essay will discuss
both sides of the issue.
This is quite simplistic but it makes it very clear what you are going to do.
You will obviously need to give your opinion as well in the essay, but stating this in the
thesis ("This essay will discuss both sides of the issue and then give my opinion")
sounds awkward so it is better without it.
Example 2
Another possible way to do it is by having a sentence to introduce the topic first, and
then paraphrasing the two opinions to make them your thesis:
At present, more and more young children are becoming involved in paid work. Whilst some
people are of the opinion that this is an entirely acceptable practice, others believe that
this is completely wrong and should be made illegal.
This is fine as your thesis will match with your essay - you go on to discuss the first
opinion and then the second one.
Example 3
Or of course you could modify this slighly to include your opinion:
At present, more and more young children are becoming involved in paid work. Whilst some
people are of the opinion that this is an entirely acceptable practice, I believe that this is
completely wrong and should be made illegal.
2) Agreeing or Disagreeing
Another type of question is when you are asked to agree or disagree with one opinion.
Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best
these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
For this type of question, you need to state what your opinion is in the thesis statement.
Although you could feasibly do this in the conclusion, I think it is better to do it first so it
is clear to someone reading the essay what your opinion is upfront. It is not wrong
though to put it in the conclusion - this is your choice.
Your thesis statement here will depend on whether you agree, disagree, or partly agree.
Here are some examples of each:
These examples illustrate why it is important to analyze the question carefully and
brainstorm your ideas first so you have a clear idea of what you will be writing and what
your opinion is.
3) Other Essays
Some other essays may not ask you for your opinion specifically, but may ask you to
discuss, for example, problems and solutions, causes and effects, advantages and
disadvantages.
If you are asked to do this, then you should just clearly state that you will be discussing
these two things in your essay. Here are some examples:
Problems and solutions:
Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.
Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can
tackle these problems.
This lesson has provided you with some broad guidance on writing a thesis statement
for different types of essay.
It is important to stress again though that questions can vary so you must always
analyze if carefully and identify exactly what you need to do and what should therefore
be in your thesis statement.
Remember, a thesis statement is just telling the reader what the focus of your essay
is and giving your opinion if necessary.
This limited time and space means that you have to get your ideas across as clearly
and succinctly as possible.
If you have planned well before you write, then you should be well on your way to
being able to write your paragraphs quickly and clearly.
The following has all the components of a good paragraph.
Read it through and identify why this is.
Studying Abroad
Studying abroad has two main
benefits. Firstly, people who study abroad can get a
better job when they return to their home
country. This is because their qualifications and
experience mean that they tend to get jobs that are
higher paid, and they can also gain promotion
quickly. Another advantage of studying abroad is the
independence students can gain. For example, students
have to cope with the challenges of living alone and
meeting new people from different cultures. As a
consequence, they will become more confident in their
life and in their relationships with others. All in all, it
is clear that studying abroad is a beneficial
experience.
Topic sentence
Supporting sentences
Concluding sentence
1. Topic Sentence
The topic sentence states what the paragraph will be about. It gives the topic of the
paragraph, and it also restricts the topic to one or two main ideas which can be
explained fully in the space of one paragraph. The controlling idea is the specific area
that the topic is limited to:
topic
controlling idea
Studying abroad has two main benefits
2. Supporting Sentences
Supporting sentences explain and develop the topic sentence. Specifically, they
discuss the topic sentence by explaining the main ideas and discussing those more fully
using reasons, examples, facts, results, statistics, or anything else that proves your
ideas are true.
The supporting sentences that explain the benefits of studying abroad are:
People get a better job when they return home (1st supporting idea)
Better qualifications & experience mean better pay and promotion (reason)
Now has a high standard of living (result)
Students gain independence (2nd supporting idea)
Students have to cope with the challenges of living alone and meeting new people
from different cultures.(example)
Students will become more confident in their life and relationships (result)
1. Unity
Unity means that you discuss only one main (central) topic area in a paragraph. The
area that you are going to cover is usually introduced in the topic sentence, and your
supporting sentences should only be used to develop that.
For the topic sentence above, you could discuss only two benefits of studying
abroad. You could not discuss three benefits, or start discussing the disadvantages of
studying abroad. If you did, your paragraph would not have unity.
Even if there is no specific topic sentence (more advanced writers do not always have
an obvious topic sentence), the paragraph should still have one central topic area so it
retains unity.
2. Coherence
Another element of good paragraph writing is coherency. This means your paragraph is
easy to understand and read because
(a) The supporting sentences are arranged in a logical order and
(b) The ideas are joined by appropriate transition signals.
(a) Logical Order
For example, in the paragraph about studying abroad, there are two main ideas: People
who study abroad can get a better job, and they will become more independent. Each
of these ideas is discussed, one after the other, with examples, reasons and results to
support them. This is logical order.
(b) Transition Signals
Furthermore, the relationship between the ideas is clearly shown by using appropriate
transition words and phrases such as first of all, for instance, the result of this, another
advantage, as a consequence, all in all. Using such words and phrases will guide the
reader through your paragraph, making it coherent and, therefore, easy to understand.
I hope that governments around the world discuss this issue with haste
and forbid this inhumane type of sport as soon as possible.
This then, is the full IELTS essay conclusion:
To conclude, it is clear that blood sports must be prohibited as no civilized
society should allow the pain and suffering of animals simply for fun. I
hope that governments around the world discuss this issue with haste and
forbid this inhumane type of sport as soon as possible.
Introduction:
These days, more and more people are making the choice to go to
university. While some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a
university education is to improve job prospects, others think that society and the
individual benefit in much broader ways.
Conclusion:
All in all, I believe that although a main aim of university education is to get the
best job, there are clearly further benefits. If we continue to promote and
encourage university attendance, it will lead to a better future for individuals and
society.
_________________________________________________
Question:
Global warming is one of the most serious issues that the world is facing
today.
What are the causes of global warming and what measures can
governments and individuals take to tackle the issue?
Introduction:
Probably the most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global
warming. This essay will examine the reasons why global warming is occurring
and discuss some possible solutions.
Conclusion:
To conclude, although global warming is a serious issue, there are steps that
governments and individuals can take to reduce its effects. If we are to save our
planet, it is important that this is treated as a priority for all concerned.