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Band score 8.

0 range of grammar
This lesson looks at the idea of range of grammar. If you are aiming for a high band score, it is not
simply enough not to make mistakes, you also need to show that you can use a number of different
grammatical constructions. First of all, I talk you through some principles and then I give you some
practical suggestions on what sort of grammar can help and, just as importantly, how to use it.

Test yourself first


Before you read on. You might want to ask yourself these questions:
1.
2.

Am I going to impress more with longer sentences?


Do I have a strategy for when I use simpler grammar and more complex
grammar?
3.
When and why do I use complex grammar like relative and conditional clauses?

An essay should combine simple with complex grammar


This is the starting point. A well-written essay should be relatively easy to read. This means that
you need to combine the simple with the complex. Where you have straightforward to say, you
should not try and show off your grammar by making it seem complex indeed, thats a very
common mistake.
Typically, you should aim for:

simple structures when you are making main points often in the opening
and/or closing sentences of your paragraphs
more complex structures when you are explaining/developing those main points
in the body of your paragraphs
a movement from the more simple to the more complex
When you have something simple to say, say it simply. Only use complex structures for more
complex thoughts.

Close Me
This paragraph expresses some complex thoughts, but it starts off simply to make the main point.
The major argument against hosting international sporting events is financial.Typically, it can cost
several million pounds to build the arenas and modernise the infrastructure so that it can cater
for the athletes and the spectators. This money, it is argued, would be better spent on welfare and
education programmes that provide direct support for the population.Indeed, some governments
have incurred so much debt through hosting the Olympic Games that they have had to reduce
spending on other social programmes.

The first sentence of this paragraph is simple. All I want to do is make clear that the main reason is
financial. I use simple clear English so that reader gets the main point. The grammar is It is
financial.
The next sentences are more complex and use complex structures to express more complex
thoughts
so that because I am talking about results
would be better spent because I am talking conditionally
that provide direct support for the population because I am defying my terms

An essay should combine longer and shorter sentences


In many ways this is the same point. It is absolutely not the case of long sentences good, short
sentences bad. There will be times when a short sentence is more effective than a long sentence.
In general, though, you should avoid the extremes of very long and very short. Also, you need to
ask yourself how complex your sentences are. Shorter sentences can work:
1.
2.

if they are used in combination with longer sentences, or


if they are relatively complex
Longer sentences can work:

1.
2.

if they are used with shorter sentences, or


if they are simpler in structure (using and and but)
Be careful of too many long, complex sentences and too many short simple
sentences

Close Me
None of the sentences in this paragraph are particularly long for short.
Another way in which free public transport could improve our quality of life relates to
congestion. Currently, the trend is for increasing numbers of people to choose to drive to work. This
means that in many cases the rush hour is several hours long and it is sometimes almost
impossible to travel across a city.It is probable that this level of congestion would be reduced by
making public transport free.
The first sentence is shorter because it is the opening sentence of the para and it also includes the
complex in which construction.
The second sentence is shortish again because it is merely stating a fact no need to make it
more complex
The third sentence is a longer sentence, but it is simply linked using and
The final sentence is again relatively short/simple sentence but it does contain a conditional
would and a by structure.

Examples of grammar that can work


This is not intended to be a list of advanced grammar points that will guarantee you a band score
8.0. Rather, the idea here is to show you grammar connects to meaning. You should never just
use a structure because it is good grammar. Instead, you need to ask yourself what is the best
way I can express this point.
The best writers use these structures when they need to, not because they think they have
to

1. the passive
I start with the passive because it is so often misused. It is not the case that the passive is an
academic structure that should be used in essays. We use it all the time in all sorts of contexts.
Here, though, is one way you might find it helpful in writing: to avoid repeating words
especially nouns/pronouns. You may want to avoid using some words too much especially
words from the question. Here the passive can help you. In a question about government action,
rather than writing:
The government should introduce measures to
you can try
Measures should be introduced
so that you dont repeat the word government.

2. Relatives
This is another piece of grammar you need to feel comfortable with and can help you. You should
be careful, however, not to overuse relatives as they can make your writing both confusing and
confused. One tip I would give you here is to try and restrict yourself to one relative per sentence
and to try and avoid them in already complex sentences. Look at this example:
There is a real danger that allowing people to travel for free would deprive transport authorities
funds which they need and lead to a lower standard of service.
The relative can be avoided by changing it into an adjective phrase:
There is a real danger that allowing people to travel for free would deprive transport authorities of
much needed funds and lead to a lower standard of service.
When you do use relatives though is to define terms and add detail. Here is an example in action:
More than that, if the authorities plan carefully, they can use the occasion of the sporting event to
help finance public works which benefit the whole population in the long term.
I want to say what sort of public works I am referring to so I define them in the relative which
benefit the whole population in the long term.

3. Conditionals
Here is another piece of grammar that can help you out. Provided that is, you see how and when to
use it. One of the best ways to use these conditionals to explain and give examples. This
means they are likely to come in the body of your paragraphs and not the introduction/opening
sentence. Try this example:
There is also, however, a strong argument not to implement this proposal. This argument is based
on economic competitiveness. If a company was forced to employ more workers to produce the
same amount of goods, then its wage bill would rise and its products might become more
expensive and less competitive compared to companies with longer working weeks. In this case, it
is possible that the company either might become insolvent or it would have to make some
employees redundant. As a result, the intended benefit to the personnel would not happen.
This time around I have given you the whole para so that you can see the context. I use a
conditional because I am explaining a point. You should also see that we use might and would
in the following sentences even though there is no if.
Do you want to show off? Then you might consider using conditionals that do not use if. So you
could use:
Were a company to be forced

4. Parallel structures
There are a number of different parallel structures we have in English. They come in useful when
we are combining, comparing or contrasting points again something that you are likely to do
in your essays. This is a useful piece of grammar to focus on, as when used well they make your
writing more cohesive. For example
Not only would unemployment be reduced, but the working conditions of employees on very long
shifts would also be significantly improved.
You may think not only..but also is too easy to impress. Dont. Simple things done well impress
too and this sentence is complex enough as it is.

5. Verb tenses (of course), impersonal structures and modals


The point to remember here is that it is not difficulty of grammar that is important, rather it is variety
of grammar. This means that some bits of grammar that you think are rather simple (e.g. tenses)
are still important. The point I want to make here is that the one tense you are going use most is
the present simple. Checking my essays, I find that easily the most common tense I use is the
present simple. Thats how it should be it is easily the most common tense in English.
You do want some variety though, and here is how I get it. I use a lot of impersonal structures
There are several reasons why
and I also use a large number of modal verbs:
It can also be argued that

The point here is that I use them to make impersonal points or sound academic. They too have
their meanings and uses.

6. And and but


Never be afraid of keeping it simple. I do. My essays work. You will also find that I almost never use
moreover and furthermore. More to the point, neither do band 8.0 candidates typically. When all
you want to do is add a point say and and if you want to make a contrast, you are most likely to
use but or however,.

Test your own writing


The best advice is of course always to find yourself a teacher, but if you are working by yourself,
here is something you can do. Find an essay you have written and go through it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Do you use different grammatical structures? (You should have at least some of
the ones I have mentioned)
Can you see why you have used any of the more complex structures?
How long is your average sentence? (around 15 words is about right I would
suggest)
Do your paragraphs combine longer and shorter sentences and simpler and
more complex sentences?
Do you use and and but?

Band score 8.0 range of vocabulary


This is the next in my series of lessons in how to achieve a high band score in IELTS essays. This
time the focus is on vocabulary. There is no magic bullet here vocabulary learning takes time.
Thats the bad news. What I do do though is to talk you through some of the more common
problems with vocabulary in essays and give you some tips on avoiding them. Youll also find a
bonus essay to download.

A sample essay weak vocabulary


Read through this sample essay. It is well structured and addresses the question, but it is weak on
vocab. Can you see what the problems are?
We live in a world where health and safety is more and more important One of the signs of this is
the demand that dangerous sports should be banned. While I understand that argument, my view
is that people should be free to do whatever sports they want.
The biggest reason for objecting to extreme sports is that they can be very dangerous and can
sometimes kill people. More than that, it is not just the sportspeople who are in danger, but
spectators too can be badly injured. If, for example, a Formula 1 car crashes, the driver may be
hurt and it is possible that people in the crowd will be too. Because of this danger, it is
understandable why people want the government to ban these sports.
The opposite argument is that people should be free to do whatever risk they want. So, if someone
wants to jump out of a plane, then they should be allowed to and the government cannot say what
they should do. Many dangerous sports are also not very risky and it is as dangerous doing
everyday activities such as crossing the road or cooking a meal as bungee jumping.
I think that the government should regulate dangerous sports, but it should not ban them. It should
also make certain that there is as little danger as possible because safety is the most important
thing. This is most important for young children.

Seeing the problems repetition


One of the most common problems is you can get stuck on certain words. This frequently
happens with words in the question itself. To some extent this is unavoidable and you will see my
improved version retains quite a lot of repetition there is simply less of it.

See the repetition corrected


Tip think of vocabulary before you start writing
The idea is quite simple. If you think of the words you want to use before you write, then you can
use them. On the other hand, if you start writing too quickly, then it becomes much harder to try
and vary your vocab.

Tip repetition should be on everyones editing checklist


One of my top tips is that everyone should have a mental checklist of the type of errors they look
for when they check their work Im going to look for any mistake doesnt really work. The point
here is that even the best writers can subconsciously get stuck on words and keep on repeating
them if they are not careful.

Tip if you cant find another word, repeat it in a different form


Sometimes there is only one correct word. In this case, the best advice is not to find another word
that may well be wrong, but to change the word slightly. This can mean using the noun form and
not the verb form (ban becomes impose a ban on) or to qualify it with another word
so ban becomes ban entirely.

Seeing the problems avoid language that is too simple


In general, I am a fan of the simple. There are times, however, when you want to upgrade your
English, in particular

avoiding words like big that are not normally used in more formal written
English
avoiding words like do unless they are part of a set phrase there is almost
always a better variation
finding variations for words such as very to show your range
thinking about collocations (phrases)

See the simple language improved


Tip when you learn vocabulary, learn phrases and not just words
Part of solution to this problem is to learn phrases. For example, you are much more likely to be
able to use participate, if you have first learnt the phrase participate in a sport.

Finding solutions think examples for precise language


This is one of my favourite suggestions. The idea is that if you learn to use examples well, you get
to use language that is precise and sometimes relatively simple. Take a look at this revised
versions of the examples. the revisions may seem quite small, but I get to use precise
language a good thing.

The counter argument is that people should be allowed to assume whatever risk they choose. So,
if someone wishes to freefall from a plane at 30,000 feet, then they should be free to do so and it
should be accepted that it is not the place of the government to dictate how they lead their lives. A
further point is that in statistical terms there is a low probability of injury in many so-called
dangerous sports and people are at greater risk carrying out everyday activities such as crossing
the road or cooking a meal as bungee jumping.
The principal reason for objecting to extreme sports is of course that they can be highly dangerous
and sometimes life-threatening. More than that, it is not just the participants who are at risk, but
spectators too can be seriously injured. If, for example, a Formula 1 car crashes, the driver may not
escape unharmed and there is also a chance that a bouncing tyre or debris will fly into the crowd.
Given this level of danger, it is understandable why people call for the authorities to take action.

Finding solutions be academic and use qualifying language

Part of the academic writing skill is learning to qualify what you say so that it is not too general.
Take a look at these two examples of qualifying phrases I add in to the improved version. Again,
the changes may seem small but taken together they can have a significant effect on your writing.
We live in a world where health and safety is an ever greater priority. One of the signs
of this is the demand that dangerous sports should be banned. While I understand that
argument, my view is that, within certain limits, people should retain the freedom to
participate in whatever sports they choose.
The counter argument is that people should be allowed to assume whatever risk they
choose. So, if someone wishes to freefall from a plane at 30,000 feet, then they should
be free to do so and it should be accepted that it is not the place of the government
to dictate how they lead their lives. A further point is that in statistical terms there is a
low probability of injury in many so-called dangerous sports and people are at greater
risk carrying out everyday activities such as crossing the road or cooking a meal as
bungee jumping.

Finding solutions focus your vocabulary learning on academic


vocabulary
This is in many ways the big one. Learning vocabulary takes time. One excellent way
to do it is simply to read and listen as much as possible. You will absorb more new
words that way than by sitting down and studying any word list. However, there is a
however. To get a high band score, you want to learn the right words to use in
essays. This is where the academic word list comes to your help.

Academic vocabulary and IELTS


Certain words in English are simply more academic than others. This does not necessarily mean
they are difficult words, it just means native speakers tend to use them more when they are
writing more formally. They are in other words exactly the sort of words you want in IELTS. Take
these examples from the improved essay:

retain
principal
assume
participate in
These are all excellent words to learn as they can be used in all sorts of different
contexts. All I would add is that you also need to learn how to use them and that is
where my daily word exercises come in.

Band score 8.0 writing better paragraphs


This is the next lesson in my series on how to achieve high band scores in IELTS writing. The focus
this time is on writing better paragraphs and improving the coherence of your writing. This is a
problem that is common at high levels where candidates have plenty of good language but
sometimes dont use it very effectively.
Sometimes it is easier to understand a problem by looking at something that is not quite right. So
this time I look at ways of improving a sample of writing from a candidate who has consistently
scored 6.5 in writing (4 times in a row I believe!), but who is certainly capable of scoring more
highly. He has in fact already completed a masters such is the absurdity of the IELTS system.
As a bonus, I also include a download of a sample essay on the theme of employment and
promotion.

Coherence and cohesion distinguished


To understand the problem it is first necessary to understand a little of the difference between
coherence and cohesion. Put simply, cohesion is the linking of your writing by using connecting
words, while coherence is making sure your writing makes sense. The important point to note is
that it is quite possible for a piece of writing to be cohesive but not very coherent.

The sample paragraph cohesion


In some ways, this is a very good paragraph. There is a good range of vocabulary, the grammar is
fine and it has lots of good cohesion structures which I have highlighted in red. There is much to
learn here:

this/that/these/those are excellent cohesion structures as they link back to


something that was already mentioned
repeating certain words (performance companies) also helps cohesion as
it helps the reader make connections between sentences
The principal reason why some people take this view is that most multi-national companies
certainly implement some specific policies to select employees for promotion. This point, of course,
could be demonstrated by individuals who worked in those companies. For example, when I was
working in an American company in Shanghai, before each fiscal year, I usually discussed with my
supervisor in order to draw up a formal agreement, which was called Performance and
Development Review. By doing this, the job performance I did for several months could be judged
by my employer , which meant if it was a good outcome, I would be promoted immediately even
though I was only a junior employee at that time.

Another version more coherent

So wheres the problem then? For me, the problem is that when I get to the end of the paragraph, I
am not immediately clear what the main point being made was. This can perhaps be best shown
by looking at my improved version of the same paragraph.
Despite these reasons, there is a strong argument in favour of also promoting staff because of their
performance. This can be seen by how some multi-nationals use annual performance and
development reviews when deciding on promotion. Under this system, a supervisor can set targets
for an employee and if those targets are met, then the employee can be promoted, even if they are
relatively junior. The benefit of this approach to promotion is that it encourages staff to work harder
and rewards merit and not just long service.

Notes
1. Less can be more
My version is considerably shorter than the original even though it makes all the same points.
Sometimes, it can help your writing become more coherent if you concentrate on using fewer
words. Likewise, I am not afraid to keep my sentences relatively short. Again, it can be easier to
transmit your ideas if your sentences do not become too complicated.

2. Identify the main idea of the paragraph put it in the first sentence
The first step is to identify what one point you want to make in the paragraph and to state it clearly
in the first sentence. In this example, the main point is promoting staff because of their
performance. Part of the problem with the original version is that most multi-national companies
certainly implement some specific policies to select employees for promotion is not particularly
clear. The idea of performance only occurs in the 4th/5th line.

3. Keep the first sentence short dont be afraid of keeping it simple


My version uses more simple vocabulary. I avoid words like specific. My goal is absolute clarity.
All I want to do is show the reader what the idea of the paragraph is.

4. Think about how you use examples and reasons omit


unnecessary details
Part of the problem with the original version is that the example is rather long and there is a danger
that the main point is lost. Examples tend to be a good thing, but you need to think carefully how
you use them. Do they illustrate the point you want to make. In the sample paragraph, there is so
much detail (Shanghai) that the point of the example is rather lost.

5. Consider how you end your paragraph


One way that my paragraph is extremely coherent is that in my final sentence I come back to the
main idea of the paragraph in a circular approach:
promoting staff because of their performance (first sentence)
this approach to promotion is that it encourages staff to work harder and rewards merit (last
sentence)

Practice suggestion
Write paragraphs, not essays
One very simple suggestion is that you practise writing paragraphs and not just essays. It can be a
problem if you only write essays, as it is harder to focus on one particular skill. As you write the
paragraph, it helps to focus on:

simple first sentences that identify the main point of the paragraph and relate to
the question
consider using a circular approach where you restate the main point in the final
sentence
leaving out details that are irrelevant
remember cohesion too (that part of the sample was excellent)

Test your own writing: what was the essay question?


Another idea is to look at some of your old essays and read the first sentences of the main topic
paragraphs. If you have written well, you should be able to predict the question of the essay from
the first sentences of those paragraphs.

Band score 8 in writing grammatical


accuracy
This is the first of a series of lessons in how to achieve band score 8.0 in writing. It used to be the
case that 7.0 was pretty much the highest requirement, but times change and now it is not unusual
for certain institutions/employers to ask for 8.0. I certainly get a number of queries on this. So how
do you do it? Can it be done? Dont need 8.0? Read on you still need to do the same things
only to a slightly lower level.
In this first lesson, I take you back to basics and explain a little about the marking of IELTS and
then focus on one aspect in particular: grammatical accuracy.

Test yourself first


Heres the test. Read this essay (written by me). Its pretty good, but every sentence contains one
mistake. That means its not good enough. Your job is to find the mistakes.
In todays material world, we are inundated with variety forms of advertising. In my view, this can be
dangerous as it encourages us spend without thinking and young people, in particular, need some
protection from it.
The first point to make is that advertising does make us to spend money we do not need to. There
are nowadays many diferent ways companies promote their products and services, ranging from
television commercials to simple flyers. If, for example, you were watching a football match on
television, you will see the logos of the tournament sponsors. Likewise, if you watch the latest
blockbuster movie, very probably you will see a product placed in the film by advertising agency.
The volume of this advertising means that we, as consumers, tend to be profoundly influence by it
and buy without thinking.
It is not easy to decide how regulating advertising. Clearly, governments ought to restrict
advertisements for harmful products such as alcohol and tobacco. They do not have the power,

however, to control other forms of the advertising. This means we need to use our commonsense
when we go to the shops, and ask us whether we really need to make that purchase. Parents
should, however, ensure that young people are protected about too much exposure to advertising.
this can mean explaining that it is not in fact necessary to buy the newest Xbox.
My conclusion is that while we cannot escape advertising or its effects in the modern world,
children should be being encouraged not to pay too much attention to it.

See the mistakes

Step 1 understand the rules of the game (the band score


criteria)
The first step must be to understand how the writing is marked. If you dont do that, your chances
are much reduced. Let me explain. Native speakers sometimes have to take IELTS too. They dont
always do so well and occasionally embarrass themselves by not getting a band 8 score. Why? Are
they not:
Band 8 Very Good User
Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies
and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex
detailed argumentation well.
Of course they are. They simply havent understood the rules of the game. The rules are like this.

Writing is marked according to 4 criteria (lexical resource/grammatical range


and accuracy/coherence and cohesion/task response)
You get a score out of 9 for each of these and then the marks are averaged to
give you your final score
The reality is that if you get much less than 8.0 in any one of those criteria, it becomes
much harder to get a final 8.0. Your aim has to be to get 8.0 in each criteria. If
you dont, you probably need to improve your score in the other criteria tough.

Grammar its about range and accuracy


This is what it says about grammar.
uses a wide range of structures
the majority of sentences are error-free
makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies
One point to note is that it is not just about how many mistakes you make. You also need a wide
range of structures too. I will explain more about that in a later lesson.

The majority of the sentences are error-free


This means that if your essay has around 15 sentences ( a good number), then you probably need
to write about 10 entirely correct sentences. That means no mistakes.

Makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies


In a way, this is another way of saying the same thing. You need to write in such a way as the
examiner is surprised when you get something wrong.

How can you achieve this? Learn to check for mistakes


The one thing that will not work is writing very simple language and only concentrate on not making

mistakes. You need to a range of grammar too remember. What it does mean is:
you almost certainly need a teacher to check your writing and tell you where
you make mistakes
you need to build a checklist of the type of mistakes you make most people
have their own mistakes and it also makes sense to concentrate on common bits of
grammar like countables and uncountables as you will use these in every
sentence.
you need to understand that grammar is more than just verb tenses: it includes
things like word order too
you need to learn to check your own writing (my personal suggestion is that you
dont leave this to the end of the essay when you are tired, but you check as you go)

How can you achieve this? Think before you write


As a teacher, I find that a large proportion of students mistakes are made not because they dont
know the grammar, but rather because they got the writing process wrong. They write. They stop.
They think. They write again. The first bit of the sentence is okay and sos the second bit. Its just
that the two halves dont match. You may be surprised by how many mistakes you avoid by
knowing how you want to end the sentence before you start writing it.

How can you achieve this? Use plain English


I said above that you should not use too simple English. That is true. What is also true, however, is
that it makes sense to avoid complicated English as well it is only likely to cause more mistakes.
This is not just good advice for the exam, it is good advice for life too (Macmillan dictionary
page and Michael McCarthy a leading academic).

Some basics for writing plainer English

avoid long, long sentences (20 words is a long sentence, unless its structure is
very simple)
dont forget the basic S-V-O structure of English and think word order (many
mistakes in more complex sentences happen when the subject gets separated from
the verb)
try verbs instead of abstract nouns where you can
be careful with relative clauses and other complex structures (one relative is
more than enough for each sentence)
try and formulate the whole sentence in your head before you start writing. If
you cant, it may be that the sentence is not complex but complicated not a good
thing

How can you achieve this? Avoid complicated ideas and writing
too much
There are no marks in IELTS for quality of ideas. They need to be relevant to the question, but that
is all. It really makes no difference if the examiner disagrees with your thoughts. Many candidates
who are aiming for a high score (perhaps because they are smart), try to show off with great ideas.

Problem you have 40 minutes and you are writing in a second language.

Bigger problem if you try and write something clever, there is a good chance
that your language will become over-complex and you will make mistakes you didnt
need to.
Point to consider the more you write: the more likely you are to make
mistakes and the less likely you are to have time to check
Its a language test: always remember that.

Introduction to topic sentences


In this lesson I give you a quick introduction to one way to write topic sentences for IELTS essays.
First of all I talk you through what they are and what they do and then show you an example of how
they can work.

A key concept move from general to particular


Before you read on it will help to understand this concept:
If you want to explain something, it is almost always a good idea to start with a general explanation
before you add any details. That way you help people understand what you are talking about step
by step. If you put in too much detail first, they will probably get confused.
Id add that the more complex the idea, the more you need to think about this principle. It applies in
academic writing too.

What are topic sentences?


In IELTS they are normally
the first sentence in each paragraph
short, clear statements of what the paragraph is about
not detailed (ie do not contain arguments and examples)

Understand what topic sentences do


Topic sentences are a guide to the examiner. They help them understand
what your main points are
the structure of your essay

if you are answering the question


When you write, these are the points you need to think about. Ill try and show you below how you
can do this.

See an example of how this works


Read this question
There is an increasing trend for people to live on their own and not share accommodation.
What is causing this to happen? Do you think it will have a positive or negative effect on
society?
You should see that there are two main questions to answer and one logical approach (the clearest
and easiest one) is to answer each question in one main paragraph.
Addressing the question
One job of the topic sentences is to show the examiner how you are doing this. Look at the red bits
below, you should how clear it is that I am addressing the question.
There are two main ways in which changing family relationships are responsible for more people
living by
themselves
..
This phenomenon is likely to be harmful to society both on the personal and social
level.
Top tip borrow, change and adapt words from the question in your topic
sentences.This will make it clear that you are on topic. Just dont steal everything!
Making the main ideas clear
Another job of the topic sentence is to show the examiner what your paragraph will be about
generally what comes next. Think of it as a signpost. Look at the blue bits below and you should
be able to tell what my paragraphs will be about two things about families and something on the
personal and something on the social level.
There are two main ways in which changing family relationships are responsible for more people
living by
themselves
..
This phenomenon is likely to be harmful to society both on the personal and social
level.

One way to make it work for you


This is not always an easy skill to master. It may look simple, but simple doesnt always mean easy.
One way to make it work is just to ask yourself questions. Here are the ones I suggest. They may
look the same, but they are in fact rather different and have different purposes:
How does this paragraph answer the question?

The answer to this question is something like


I agree with the proposal
I think it is dangerous
You should see that these are very general answers that state your position to the question. This
will give you the red language from my examples.
What am I going to say ing this paragraph generally?
The answer to this question should be slightly different it will contain more detail. The sort of
answers you should get are:
I have 3 different reasons why its a bad idea
The main reason why its a bad idea is
Again, you should see that this says what comes next in your paragraph. This is the blue
language in my examples above.

The writing stage


This is the tough bit of course. Here are some quick thoughts:
you need to think/plan first you cant write a topic sentence until you know what comes next
each paragraph should be about one main idea this may mean not using all your ideas
keep your topic sentence short (not more that 16 words or so) if you are writing much more then
you may be including too much detail

Where next?
Writefix is an exceptional site for writing. It has loads of good materials. Try this as a starting place
and then start browsing:

writefix the body2


Purdue OWL is another site you need to know about that has great writing resources. Start here:

Purdue OWL topic sentences


You may want to check out this resource lesson I wrote for teachers, it too has ideas you can use:

DC IELTS topic sentence activities for teachers


Here is the complete essay and a quick lesson on coherence

People living alone essay

Important footnote
In the first version of this lesson I described a topic sentence as a map that was a big mistake.
Maps contain lots of details and can be hard to read and take time to understand this is exactly
what a topic sentence should not be.

This new and improved version describes topic sentences as signposts. Signposts can be
understood immediately and show you what way to go without using too much detail. Take a look
below. You are aiming for the first one and not the second!!!!

Write better paragraphs start with a


simple sentence
Part of your job in answering IELTS essay questions is to give a clear answer that the examiner
can follow. One way you can do that is by following this simple tip
keep the first sentence in each topic paragraph simple dont try and say too much too soon

Why is this a good idea?


Typically, it is a good idea to go from the general to the particular first of all make it clear what
you want to say generally, then add details/explanations later. It can also actually be easier to write
this way in the exam when you are under pressure. It really can help to follow this sort of routine:
1.
What do I want to say? general idea
2.
How can I explain it? reasons
3.
Can I think of any examples? examples
Problems often happen when reasons and examples get put in the first sentence when you try to
explain your idea without saying what it is first.

See two examples


To see what I mean, take a look at these two paragraphs below. They are both about complex
topics and express quite complex ideas. They do, however, start simply. Note how:

the shortest sentence in each paragraph is the first one (thats not a rule!)
I dont give reasons (use because) or examples in the first sentence
I do use more complex structures (relatives and if clauses), but I keep them for
my reasons and examples once the examiner is clear about my point of view

Do you believe that credit cards will replace cash payments?


It is highly likely that credit cards will replace cash in the foreseeable future. [Yes I do think they will
simple] The main reason why this will probably occur is that it is cashless transactions are more
convenient for both consumers and businesses. [Why?]Just one example of this is that individuals
will not need to worry about exchanging currency when they travel abroad or purchase goods and
services from another country. [I explain more with an example] Likewise, companies are bound to
prefer a cashless system in which they are able to reach an international market without the
restrictions that cash payments can bring. [Heres another example and a complex idea explained
even though I started simply]
Who should look after the elderly? The government by providing care homes or families?
There is a strong argument for saying that families should take the major responsibility for caring
for their elderly relatives. [I think families should do it simple] This is largely based on the fact that
children owe a debt to the parents who brought them up when they young and it would therefore be

morally wrong if they abandoned them when they most needed care. [Now the reason why its
about duty]So, the children of the elderly should be prepared to make sacrifices in their careers
and home life to provide for their parents and this is especially true when they are sick and
incapable of looking after themselves. [A more complex sentence explaining the idea]

How can you learn this skill?


Practice helps of course. But it may help you to ask yourself this question before you write that key
first sentence:
What do I think?
Only then do you ask yourself the question
Why do I think that?

A simple practice idea


1.
2.

Go back over your old essays and copy out the first sentence of each paragraph.
Can you see what that paragraph was about just by reading that sentence?
Thats good.
3.
Does it have reasons and examples in it? That can be dangerous.

Listing paragraphs
This lesson talks you through one way to write your paragraphs: one possible solution is to choose
the listing paragraph method. To help you to learn how to write this type of paragraph, you will find
below instructions on how to write them, useful vocal to do this and examples of what works and
doesnt work.

A quick reminder about paragraphs


Before I go any further, Id like to remind you of some of the keys to writing a good paragraph.
These are:
1.
2.

a paragraph should be organised around one idea


the main idea should be clear to the reader: this means boring old topic
sentences
3.
the idea should be well developed in the paragraph

What is a listing paragraph?


Put simply a listing paragraph is a paragraph containing different ideas that all connect to one main
idea. It is perhaps easiest to think of this as the Firstly Secondly Thirdly paragraph. A key to
making them work is to make sure that different ideas connect to one central idea. Take a look at
this very simple example to see what I mean:
There are at least three different ways to organise a paragraph. The first is to follow a structure
where where you make a main point, develop it with an explanation and then illustrate it with an
example. The second is to list separate points that connect to the main idea stated in the topic
paragraph. The third is the compare and contrast paragraph in which you examine the relationship
between two different ideas.

Do you see how the ideas contained in the content sentences all link back to the main idea in the
topic sentence, highlighted in red?

When you should consider a listing paragraph


The next step is to decide when you should use the listing paragraph structure. Here are some
ideas for you to consider:

you have a series of connected ideas (reasons/examples/explanations etc) that


relate to one main idea
these connected ideas are balanced (equally relevant)
it makes sense in that essay to give different reasons (ie the essay asks you to
write about the reasons why something is the case)
perhaps it is simpler to list rather than explain in detail (this is particularly the
case in exams where you under time pressure)

Getting the topic sentence right


One of the keys to making this listing paragraph structure work is to get the topic sentence right.
These are not rules, but think about these general guidelines:

the topic sentence should come first and be simple: you want the reader to see
immediately what your para is about
it should ideally say that you are going to list different reasons etc. If you dont
do this, the reader may not understand your structure and how the points relate to
each other

What to avoid and how to fix it


This type of paragraph can often go wrong. One particular problem is that the list ideas do not
relate to the main idea in the topic sentence. Look at this example:
There are a number of reasons why animals should not be kept in captivity. This is wrong because
zoos are often unsanitary and the animals suffer unnecessary pain and suffering because they
easily become sick and die. In many cases zoos do not have effective breeding programmes and
they actually contribute to the decline in numbers of certain endangered species. Moreover, in
many countries zoos have become less and less popular because of the influence of natural
history programmes on television.
Do you see the problem? The final sentence doesnt really relate to/balance the other ideas it is
about something else altogether.
I have two suggestions about how to avoid this problem. The first is to consider adding a
concluding sentence to the paragraph that summarises the ideas. That should help you to avoid
this kind of irrelevance by showing you how one sentence doesnt relate to the others. The other
idea is not to be afraid of using listing language.

The language of listing paragraphs


Using listing language helps the reader understand the train of your thoughts and see how the
ideas connect. it can also help you write more accurately: if you use this language, you are much
less likely to go wrong.

Topic sentence language


Here the goal is to show the reader that you are about to make a number of connected points.
Here are some ideas to get you going. obviously, you will need to adapt them to your topic.
There are at least three [reasons] why. (ie use a number and traditionally three is the magical
number)
There are a variety of [reasons] why
There are several causes for this
There are a number of different of ways in which

The most basic listing language


If this is a new technique for you, this language is a good place to start. Though I would add that
you should aim for some of more advanced language as you progress. It is also sensible to be
fairly consistent with the language. The moment you say Firstly,, the reader automatically looks
for Secondly, and may be confused if they do not find it (or something very similar to it)
Firstly,

Secondly,

One [reason] is

Thirdly/Finally

(note the comma)

A second reason is A third/final [reason] is

Some more advanced variations


Here are some slightly more advanced ways of linking your ideas. The point is to start with the
biggest/best and then add other ideas using phrase with Another and Also. This way the
connection should still be plain.
The most significant [reason] is
The primary [reason] why
Equally significant is
Another connected [reason] is
A linked reason is
It is also the case that
It is also sometimes suggested that
To keep the connection between your ideas clear use the linking language at the beginning of your
sentence

See some examples of listing paragraphs and test yourself


These paragraphs are based on an essay question asking why people are moving from the
countryside into cities and whether that is a positive trend. If you want to test yourself, see if you
can complete them. Possible ideas include loss of agricultural land/farming culture, better jobs in
cities, better lifestyle and amenities in cities, better infrastructure and transport makes it easier

Simple version
There are three main reasons why people are abandoning the countryside and moving to
cities. Firstly,

Secondly,
Thirdly,

More advanced
There are a number of reasons for this migration from the countryside to urban centres. Perhaps
the most significant of these is that
Another connected reason is that
It can also be caused by

Expert
Close examination shows that there are a variety of causes for this migration. The primary reason
why
Perhaps as significant as this is the fact that
It is also sometimes suggested that

Footnote on IELTS
Can you use this structure in IELTS essays. Most definitely. In fact, you would be foolish not to
practise this form of paragraph, it works very well in exam circumstances when you may not be
able to think of fully developed ideas but have lots of little ideas.

he differences between Academic and


General IELTS writing
A fairly common request is for an explanation of the differences between academic and general
training IELTS writing. I asked Mike Wattie of IELTSanswers, an expert on the IELTS writing
process, to give some guidance on this. If you read on youll discover that the two formats are
graded in just the same way, but each presents slightly different challenges:

IELTS writing: General and Academic exam


The IELTS writing exam has two versions. In most cases you cannot choose which one you want to
take. For instance getting into a university requires a score in the Academic version, and
immigration is usually based on the General version. There are two tasks for both versions of the
exam.
In terms of the content of Task 1 they are quite different. The general version involves writing a 150
word letter, whereas the academic version requires writing a 150 word report based on data in a
chart or table, describing a process, or describing or comparing information on a map. For task 2,

both versions of the test require writing a 250 word essay. Both versions have a separate question
on any given exam day, but the topics and types of essays seem to be about the same.
In terms of the grading, the same four criteria are used to assess both versions of the exam (Task
Response, Cohesion and coherence, Vocabulary, Grammar). As well as this the same people
(examiners) assess the tasks. So, from this perspective they can be considered as equally
challenging to pass.
However, the general exam is easier to prepare for, and less likely to lead to a nasty surprise on
exam day because task 1 only involves leaning how to write a few styles of letters, whereas the
academic version requires the students to learn how to write about a wide variety of charts,
different time periods, and passive tense in order to be able to write about processes and maps.

Using examples to improve your paragraph


coherence
A common problem with IELTS writing is that either examples are not used, or they are used
poorly. In this lesson you will find

a quick test to see how well you understand coherence and the use of examples
4 suggestions on how to use examples well
a list of vocabulary to help you do this

A reminder about coherence and examples


The essential idea of coherence is that the ideas in your writing combine together to form one
whole. The goal is to write in such a way that the reader/examiner immediately sees the
connections in your writing and understands what you are trying to say. Arguably, a well-written
and coherent piece of writing only needs to be read once to be understood. This is where

examples come in. Examples can make your writing


easier to read by illustrating your main points
easier to write, as often it is easier to explain an example than argue a complex
idea

Not all examples work a little test


It is not just enough, however, to use examples. Your examples need to illustrate your main
ideas if you want to be coherent. A badly used example can make your writing confused and
confusing. Take a look at the two paragraphs below. One example works, the other doesnt.
Which is which?

Close Me
There are three principal reasons why people commit crimes. The first of these is that they may be
career criminals who have made an active choice to make their living illegally. A second reason
reason relates to the environment they grew up in: a possible illustration of this is if they have been
subject to peer group pressure at an early age to join a gang that terrorised the neighbourhood.
Finally, it is sometimes argued that genetic factors play a role and that some people cannot be
blamed for their criminal actions because they are naturally predisposed to commit crimes.
It is possible to argue that more effective education would lead to a decrease in the crime rate and
that prison is an ineffective deterrent. People who argue in favour of prison often claim that it is not
only the most appropriate way to punish offenders, it also prevents crimes from being
committed. For example, many young people join gangs at an early age due to peer group
pressure and they are led into a life of crime in later life because of the choices they made when
they were younger.

Close Me
This first paragraph works well. It is a listing paragraph with a clear main point in the first sentence
saying there are 3 reasons. The next 3 sentences each state one reason (this is one form of
coherence).
I have highlighted in red an example that clearly relates to and explains the idea in the second
sentence about how environment can affect crime
There are three principal reasons why people commit crimes. The first of these is that they may be
career criminals who have made an active choice to make their living illegally. A second reason
reason relates to the environment they grew up in: a possible illustration of this is if they have been
subject to peer group pressure at an early age to join a gang that terrorised the neighbourhood.
Finally, it is sometimes argued that genetic factors play a role and that some people cannot be
blamed for their criminal actions because they are naturally predisposed to commit crimes.
This paragraph does not really work. It has plenty of good language but the ideas and how they
relate to each other are not especially clear. The first sentence has two main ideas (always
dangerous), one about education, the other about prison being a deterrent.The idea of education is
not explained in the paragraph this is incoherent. The other main problem is that the example in
red does not clearly relate to the main ideas of the paragraph. This also is incoherent
It is not enough to use examples, you need to show how they relate to your main idea.
It is possible to argue that more effective education would lead to a decrease in the crime rate and
that prison is an ineffective deterrent. People who argue in favour of prison often claim that it is not
only the most appropriate way to punish offenders, it also prevents crimes from being
committed. For example, many young people join gangs at an early age due to peer group

pressure and they are led into a life of crime in later life because of the choices they made when
they were younger.

Tip one organise your paragraphs around one main idea


You can only really write coherent examples if your paragraphs area coherent. What this means in
practice is that your paragraphs need to be centred on one main idea almost always stated in the
first sentence. The example you choose should relate to that idea.
(It is of course possible to include more than one idea in a paragraph. What you need to do here is
follow my example above and say in the first sentence that there are different ideas here.)

Tip two you dont have to include all your ideas/examples


learn to select
One reason why paragraphs (and essays) go wrong is that the student tries to include everything
s/he knows in an effort to impress the examiner. This does not work in IELTS. It is a language test,
not an IQ test, and there is a limit to how many ideas you can fit into a 250-300 word essay. This
means that you need to select only the examples that illustrate your main points. Put another
way, you may need to leave out ideas that do not fit your main point. This is particularly good
advice for high level candidates in the planning stage.

Tip three for example is not the best way to introduce an


example
Almost certainly, the most common way of introducing examples is to use for example. My
suggestion is that you try some other ways of introducing examples. The key idea is to use a
phrase that clearly links the example to the main idea. Look at these:
A example of how environmental factors can lead to crime is..
This can be illustrated by
clearly illustrates how environmental factors may contribute to crime.
One instance that shows how environmental factors may lead to crime is ..
The point to note is that in each case the example is introduced so that it links to the point it is
supposed to be illustrating.

Tip four just say how the example illustrates the main point
P-E-E-P
This tip is similar to the previous one. Only the idea this time is that you add a sentence after the
example to explain how it links to the main idea. This leads to a model paragraph that goes:
Point Explanation Example Point
Look at how it can work here. The first sentence and the last sentence of para make essentially the
same point and the final sentence links back into the example (This leads to the conclusion).
There are many people who believe that longer prison sentences are necessary for repeat
offenders. The idea is that people are much less likely to re-offend if they know that they will
receive a serious sentence of perhaps 20 years for any further crimes. This would reform the
system where many criminals do re-offend simply because they know that the consequences will

not be very severe if they are caught. For example, a petty thief who might take the risk of a gaol
term of 6 months would not risk 20 years for the same crime. This leads to the conclusion that
longer gaol terms for repeat offenders are an effective deterrent.

Cohesion and using pronouns


Cohesion is a large part of your writing score in IELTS and definitely needs to be studied. It may
seem technical or difficult. It neednt be it includes using some of the simplest words in English
well. The idea here is to show you some of the ways you can use pronouns to make your writing
flow better and easier to read thats what cohesion is. What youll find is a brief reminder of what
pronouns are, some handy tips on how to use them to avoid common mistakes and a series of
exercises to show you different ways you can use them to your advantage.
I would like to emphasise that a key to understanding cohesion is that it is absolutely not just
a question of learning a list of linking phrases and using them at the beginning of each
sentence. To understand this you may want to check out my introductory lesson on cohesion first,
where you can also find a simple list of different ways to achieve cohesion.

What are pronouns and how do they work?

The first step is naturally to think about what pronouns are. Dont let the name put you off, they are
among the first words you learned in English and you use them all the time in any case. Perhaps
the best way to show you what they are is if you try this quick exercise. I have written a short
passage and taken the pronouns out all you have to do is put them back in. As you work through
the exercise you should note how:

pronouns can link both different sentences and parts of the same sentence
pronouns can help you avoid repetition
pronouns do have some grammar too so you need to be able to choose they
or their for instance
pronouns can refer back to one word or back to a whole group of words

Quick quiz on cohesion and pronouns


Question 1
CORRECT
There are a number of different ways of ensuring that your writing links together,
________________ teachers call cohesion.
something that

and

but

furthermore

Question 1 Explanation:
Note how cohesion works inside sentences. "something that" refers back to/links to
the first part of the sentence: "There are a number of different ways of ensuring that
your writing links together". So cohesion is a way of linking the different parts of your
sentences together. The "that" here is a form of relative pronoun.
Question 2
There are a number of different ways of ensuring that your writing links together something that teachers call cohesion. One of __________ is, of course, to use the
normal linking words such as furthermore and moreover.

this

that

those

these

Question 3
It would be a mistake, however, to think that ______ is the only method of achieving
cohesion because there are in fact other options _______work just as well and,
sometimes, much better.

this/which

these/who

those/that

Question 4
Indeed, the ability to employ a range of cohesive devices and not just the normal
linking words is one of the keys to good writing. It can also be argued that
learners __________ only concentrate on using ________ words write less cohesively as a
result.

which/that

who/those

not/those

Question 5
This is particularly the case when learners use a linking phrase such as as a matter
of fact' wrongly because ______ fail to realise that it has quite an exact meaning and
can only be used in some cases.

of

to

they

them

their

Question 6
My personal recommendation is that learners who wish to improve the cohesion
of _________ writing should concentrate not on the traditional linking words, rather
that they should think about how using pronouns well can link their writing together much more
effectively.

they

them

their

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will
be marked incorrect.

Get Results

You have completed 1/6 questions .


Your score is 100%.

List

Quick pronoun review some different ways pronouns can help


you
Here are just a few of the ways in which pronouns can help you:
1. Personal pronouns and repetition
These are words such as I you he etc. They are helpful because they allow you to avoid
repetition and repetition when repeated too often can be a problem. Look at:
Some people believe that capital punishment is justified for the most serious crimes such as
murder and crimes against humanity. These people say that ..
The repetition of people here is plain ugly. Much better is achieve coherence by using the
pronounthey
Some people believe that capital punishment is justified for the most serious crimes such as
murder and crimes against humanity. They say that ..
2. Demonstrative pronouns for linking sentences
These are such as this that these and those. One of the best ways to use them is to link
different sentences together. You can link forwards to the next sentence, even to something that
may not be in the text, or you can link backwards. Here Im concentrating just on that last idea to
make your writing cohesive you should aim to refer back to something you wrote before. Heres an
example from my essay on prisons:
The first set of circumstances when community work is the appropriate sanction is for less serious
offences when the offender shows remorse for his actions. Part of the reason for this is that it may
be wrong to take away someones livelihood by sending them to prison,
The idea here is that when you start a new sentence you want to make it easy for the
reader/examiner to understand how it links to the previous sentence. Here the phrase Part of the
reason for this shows the examiner that you are talking about the same thing as the previous
sentence the key word being this.
3. Relative pronouns for joining different parts of sentences together
Relative pronouns are the who, that, which,when words. They are super useful for joining
parts of sentences together. Look at this example:
These buildings are being replaced for a variety of reasons. These reasons largely depend on the
original purpose of the building and the needs of the community.
The writing is cohesive with the these, but it is ugly. We can do better with a relative, try:
These buildings are being replaced for a variety of reasons which largely depend on the original
purpose of the building and the needs of the community.

The writing is just as cohesive as before only now the grammar is more sophisticated and we
have avoided some needless repetition.
4. A top tip old information comes first
A standard guideline is to start sentences with old information (from the previous sentence). If you
do this (use old information first), you will almost certainly start to use pronouns like this in an
intelligent way.

Some phrases to help you be more cohesive with pronouns


Sometimes the best way to learn how to use language is to learn a few phrases first. That can work
here too. Try these for size:
Part of the reason for this is
This is because
One way of explaining this is
An interesting example of this is
(You might like to note how these phrases also help you write more coherently that is linking your
ideas together.)

Test yourself again


paragraph 1 this exercise looks at the same paragraph as above. Your task is to put the
paragraph back together again by looking at how the pronouns link the writing
paragraph 2 this is a different type of exercise. This time I ask you to look at the little words in a
short paragraph and try and put them back in. Not all of them are pronouns, but you should see
how important this type of word is in your writing.
essay this time I give you one of my essays to read and you have to complete some gaps by
putting the pronouns back in. You should note here that some of the gaps include pronoun
phrases.

Footnote which isnt really a footnote at all does cohesion


only apply to writing?
Certainly not. Cohesion is as much a part of the spoken language as it is the written language.
Indeed, one of the best ways of thinking about cohesion is to think about the ways you link your
spoken thoughts together nearly all the techniques you use there also apply to writing. You use
pronouns when you speak, right?

Why you should plan essays in IELTS


This is another guest article, this time from Mike Wattie of IELTSanswers. Mike has lots of
experience in examining and his site has all sorts of useful advice for exam preparation and offers
an essay correction service that Im sure will be of interest to many candidates, its always sensible
to have your writing checked before you get to the exam and there are few people better qualified
to help you out than Mike. If Taiwan is the wrong time zone, then why not check one of the other
tutors on the Teachers page.
In this article he makes a simple point about the need to plan your writing and then suggests some
practical ways you can do this. Id add that there is always time to plan the essay: the better you
plan, the better and more quickly you write.

Planning your essays


On a few occasions I have been an invigilator (person to make sure no one is cheating!) in the
writing exam. I was amazed to see that only about 10% just started writing their essays without
writing any plan first. Afterwards, I asked some of my students who were attending why they didnt
write a plan. oh we thought we didnt have time to do it.

The plan serves three purposes. First, it helps you think about the main points you will write, so it
increases your score for Task Response. Second, it helps you structure your essay better, so it
increases your score for Cohesion and Coherence. Finally, it saves you time. Thats right! By
making a plan first, you wont have to keep stopping to think what you will write next.
Each essay question is composed of two parts. The TOPIC, which is what the essay is about; and
the TASK, which is what sort of essay you need to write. There are three main types of essays. The
first asks you opinion, or do you agree or disagree. The second asks you to explain two sides of an
argument and then give your own personal opinion on that topic. The third asks you two questions;
for example, discuss the problems and solutions.
You should learn how to plan for all three types of essays. You can practice your planning by
looking at past exam questions and thinking what would be your main points and how would you
structure the essay. If you need someone to correct your essays and give feedback on how to
improve checkout my service at: http://ieltsanswers.com/IELTS-Essay-Correction.html

10 ways to make your writing more academic


This lesson looks at 10 different ways to make your writing academic or more formal. I talk you
through some of the more important dos and donts to help you write essays that use the right sort
of language.

Academic/formal and IELTS


How important is it to be academic in IELTS? Well. You need to write an essay and the convention
is that essays use academic language. So your goal should be to reasonably formal/academic.
That said, conventions vary around the world and there is nothing specifically in the marking
criteria about formality of language. What you really need to do is make sure you avoid
being too informal/non-academic.
In practice, this means you need to follow most of the guidelines below, but you shouldnt become
obsessive about it. These are guidelines and not rules.

Test yourself first


This quiz gives you 8 sentences. 4 of them are more academic and 4 are less academic. Your job
is simple decide which is which. The goal is to get 8 out of 8.

Academic language

Start
Points to avoid in academic writing
This is a short form guide to some of the donts in academic writing.

1. Short forms of verbs


We dont use short forms of verbs (dont/cant etc) when we write more academically. So this
example doesnt work:
I dont think its very important for small kids to learn English.

2. Imprecise language
When we write academically, we tend to use more precise language. So these examples dont
work:
I dont think its very important for small kids to learn English.
This is the best thing to do.

3. Use idiomatic language


This is not a rule there are sometimes when you will find idiomatic language in academic writing.
However, there are idioms and idioms and idioms. The more colourful the idiom, the less likely
you are to use it in academic writing. So, this idiom is inappropriate:
If we do that, then we might throw the baby out with the bathwater.
while this idiom is much weaker and acceptable
On balance, this would seem to be the most appropriate course of action.

4. Start sentences with and and but


A difficult one. If you read almost any language course book, you are almost certain to find
sentences that begin with and and but in the reading texts. Language changes and it is
becoming more and more acceptable to do this. However, in academic writing for second language
speakers, this should be avoided. So this is unacceptable for most teachers:
But the most important thing is that the government find outs what the real needs are.
And needs to be transformed into:
The immediate priority, however, is for the government to conduct a needs analysis.

5. Phrasal verbs (2/3 word verbs)


Phrasal verbs (a species of idiom) are an important part of the language, but we tend to avoid them
where we can in academic writing and choose a different verb. So
But the most important thing is that the government find outs what the real needs are.
needs to be transformed into
The immediate priority, however, is for the government to conduct a needs analysis.

6. Personal pronouns
A big area. Academic writing tends to be relatively impersonal and so we try to avoid over-using
personal pronouns. This does not mean that you cant use them, you just need to be careful how
you do it. If it is important to show that something is your personal opinion, then I or my can be
acceptable. The one pronoun to avoid is the informal you.

I dont think its very important for small kids to learn English.

More academic variations


1. Precise language
Typically, academic language is more precise. This means that we try to use language that is
accurate as possible. Properly speaking, children are not small they are young
It is doubtful whether it is particularly important for young children to study English.
and the government is going to find out by conducting a needs analysis
The immediate priority, however, is for the government to conduct a needs analysis.

2. Impersonal language and passives


Typically, even many personal opinions are put in impersonal language and it is left to the reader to
understand that what is being said is the authors own view. Probably, the most common structure
here is It is
It is doubtful whether it is particularly important for young children to study English.
The passive is not 100% academic and it is quite possible to use it in all forms of speaking and
writing. However, one of its uses is in academic writing as it is one way of not using too many
personal pronouns
We should let people do any sport they want to.
can be changed to
People should be allowed to participate in whatever sport they choose.

3. Cautious language
This is really to do with opinions. The more academic we become, the more we hedge or weaken
opinions/statements that are strong. In practice, what this means is that we use a lot of possibility
and probability type words when we write academically. For example:
This solution is perhaps too radical and may cause as many problems as it solves.
On balance, this would seem to be the most appropriate course of action.

4. General academic vocabulary


Finally, there are just some words we use more when we write academically. If you have a
language background, English is essentially the marriage of two languages old German and Latin
and for historical reasons we tend to use the words with a Latin origin when we write academically.
Many of these words can be found in the academic word list:
People should be allowed to participate in whatever sport they choose.
This solution is perhaps too radical and may cause as many problems as it solves.
On balance, this would seem to be the most appropriate course of action.
It is doubtful whether it is particularly important for young children to study English.
I must add here that this absolutely does not mean long words good, short words bad.

A sample essay

To see how this works, try looking at this sample essay. You will find two parallel versions of it. One
is more formal/academic and the other isnt. I have highlighted the major differences between the
two versions.

Close Me
In the modern world, we frequently no longer rely on food that has been grown locally, but we have
become accustomed to buying produce from all over the world. While this trend has some clear
benefits to consumers, I would argue that overall transporting food over long distances is a
negative.
In the modern world, we often dont rely on food that has been grown locally, but we have got used
to buying food from all over the world. While this trend is good for consumers, I think that overall
transporting food over long distances is not a good thing.
The strongest argument against importing food is environmental. Studies have shown that
transport and the use of fossil fuels is one of the leading causes of global warming and climate
change. This means that if we want to lead a greener lifestyle, we should be trying to
minimise transport and this includes the unnecessary transport of foodstuffs.
The biggest argument against importing food is environmental. We know that transport and the use
of fossil fuels is the biggest cause of global warming and climate change. This means that if we
want to lead a greener lifestyle, we should try not to use transport so much and this includes
transporting of foodstuffs when we dont have to.
Another point that needs to be considered is the impact of transporting food on local farmers and
traditional ways of life. Again, there is good research to show that farmers and smallholders
are unable to compete in price with the supermarkets that import cheap, and often low-quality,
produce from abroad. This is not just a problem for local farmers who are likely to go out of
business, it also has an impact onweakening traditional communities that rely on those farms for
employment and trade.
Another point is that transporting food is bad for local farmers and traditional ways of life. This is
because farmers and smallholders cannot compete in price with the supermarkets that import
cheap, and often low-quality, produce from abroad. This is not just a problem for local farmers who
will go out of business, it also weakens traditional communities that need those farms for
employment and trade.
A further consideration is that food that has travelled across the world is considerably less
healthy than locally grown, fresh produce. The point is that the further food travels before it
reaches the consumer, the less fresh it will be and any nutritionist will confirm that fresh food
is fuller of vitamins. Therefore, it would be preferable if supermarkets and other stores did not
transport food from other countries.
We should also think how food that has travelled across the world is not as good for you as locally
grown, fresh produce. This is because if food travels a lot of miles before it reaches the consumer,
it wont be very fresh and experts say that fresh food is better for you. So, in my opinion,
supermarkets and other stores shouldnt transport food from other countries.
In conclusion, I believe that the trend for transporting food over long distances
is undesirable because it is environmentally unfriendly, threatens local communities and results
in less healthy options for the consumer.

In conclusion, I think that the trend for transporting food over long distances is wrong because it
is not good for the environment, it is bad for local communities and means consumers eat less
healthily.

Band score 8.0 range of vocabulary


This is the next in my series of lessons in how to achieve a high band score in IELTS essays. This
time the focus is on vocabulary. There is no magic bullet here vocabulary learning takes time.
Thats the bad news. What I do do though is to talk you through some of the more common
problems with vocabulary in essays and give you some tips on avoiding them. Youll also find a
bonus essay to download.

A sample essay weak vocabulary


Read through this sample essay. It is well structured and addresses the question, but it is weak on
vocab. Can you see what the problems are?
We live in a world where health and safety is more and more important One of the signs of this is
the demand that dangerous sports should be banned. While I understand that argument, my view
is that people should be free to do whatever sports they want.
The biggest reason for objecting to extreme sports is that they can be very dangerous and can
sometimes kill people. More than that, it is not just the sportspeople who are in danger, but
spectators too can be badly injured. If, for example, a Formula 1 car crashes, the driver may be
hurt and it is possible that people in the crowd will be too. Because of this danger, it is
understandable why people want the government to ban these sports.

The opposite argument is that people should be free to do whatever risk they want. So, if someone
wants to jump out of a plane, then they should be allowed to and the government cannot say what
they should do. Many dangerous sports are also not very risky and it is as dangerous doing
everyday activities such as crossing the road or cooking a meal as bungee jumping.
I think that the government should regulate dangerous sports, but it should not ban them. It should
also make certain that there is as little danger as possible because safety is the most important
thing. This is most important for young children.

Seeing the problems repetition


One of the most common problems is you can get stuck on certain words. This frequently
happens with words in the question itself. To some extent this is unavoidable and you will see my
improved version retains quite a lot of repetition there is simply less of it.

See the repetition corrected


Tip think of vocabulary before you start writing
The idea is quite simple. If you think of the words you want to use before you write, then you can
use them. On the other hand, if you start writing too quickly, then it becomes much harder to try
and vary your vocab.

Tip repetition should be on everyones editing checklist


One of my top tips is that everyone should have a mental checklist of the type of errors they look
for when they check their work Im going to look for any mistake doesnt really work. The point
here is that even the best writers can subconsciously get stuck on words and keep on repeating
them if they are not careful.

Tip if you cant find another word, repeat it in a different form


Sometimes there is only one correct word. In this case, the best advice is not to find another word
that may well be wrong, but to change the word slightly. This can mean using the noun form and
not the verb form (ban becomes impose a ban on) or to qualify it with another word
so ban becomes ban entirely.

Seeing the problems avoid language that is too simple


In general, I am a fan of the simple. There are times, however, when you want to upgrade your
English, in particular

avoiding words like big that are not normally used in more formal written
English
avoiding words like do unless they are part of a set phrase there is almost
always a better variation
finding variations for words such as very to show your range
thinking about collocations (phrases)

Close Me
We live in a world where health and safety is more and more important. One of the signs of
this people want the government to ban dangerous sports. While I understand that argument, my
view is that people should be free to do whatever sports they want.

We live in a world where health and safety is an ever greater priority. One of the signs of this is the
demand that dangerous sports should be banned. While I understand that argument, my view is
that, within certain limits, people should retain the freedom to participate in whatever sports
they choose.
The biggest reason for objecting to dangerous sports is that they can be very dangerous and can
sometimes kill people. More than that, it is not just the sportspeople who are in danger, but
spectators too can be badly hurt. If, for example, a Formula 1 car crashes, the driver may
be hurt and it is possible that people in the crowd will be too. Because of this danger, it is
understandable why people want the government to ban these sports.
The principal reason for objecting to extreme sports is of course that they can be highly dangerous
and sometimes life-threatening. More than that, it is not just the participants who are at risk, but
spectators too can be seriously injured. If, for example, a Formula 1 car crashes, the driver may not
escape unharmed and there is also a chance that a bouncing tyre or debris will fly into the crowd.
Given this level of danger, it is understandable why people call for the authorities to take action.
The opposite argument is that people should be free to do whatever risk they want. So, if
someone wants to jump out of a plane, then they should be allowed to and the
government cannot say what they should do. A further point is that many dangerous sports are
not very risky and it is as dangerous doing everyday activities such as crossing the road or cooking
a meal as bungee jumping.
The counter argument is that people should be allowed to assume whatever risk they choose. So,
if someone wishes to freefall from a plane at 30,000 feet, then they should be free to do so and it
should be accepted that it is not the place of the government to dictate how they lead their lives. A
further point is that in statistical terms there is a low probability of injury in many so-called
dangerous sports and people are at greater risk carrying out everyday activities such as crossing
the road or cooking a meal as bungee jumping.
I think that the government should regulate dangerous sports, but it should not ban them. It should
also make certain that there is as little danger as possible because safety is the most
important thing. This is most important for young children who cannot make their own decisions.
My personal view is that while the government and other authorities do need to regulate dangerous
sports, it would be preferable not to impose a ban on them entirely. I would suggest that
safeguards need to be established so that any risk is minimised. What these safeguards are will
vary from sport to sport, but safety has to be paramount, especially where minors are involved.

Tip when you learn vocabulary, learn phrases and not just words
Part of solution to this problem is to learn phrases. For example, you are much more likely to be
able to use participate, if you have first learnt the phrase participate in a sport.

Finding solutions think examples for precise language


This is one of my favourite suggestions. The idea is that if you learn to use examples well, you get
to use language that is precise and sometimes relatively simple. Take a look at this revised
versions of the examples. the revisions may seem quite small, but I get to use precise
language a good thing.

The counter argument is that people should be allowed to assume whatever risk they choose. So,
if someone wishes to freefall from a plane at 30,000 feet, then they should be free to do so and it

should be accepted that it is not the place of the government to dictate how they lead their lives. A
further point is that in statistical terms there is a low probability of injury in many so-called
dangerous sports and people are at greater risk carrying out everyday activities such as crossing
the road or cooking a meal as bungee jumping.
The principal reason for objecting to extreme sports is of course that they can be highly dangerous
and sometimes life-threatening. More than that, it is not just the participants who are at risk, but
spectators too can be seriously injured. If, for example, a Formula 1 car crashes, the driver may not
escape unharmed and there is also a chance that a bouncing tyre or debris will fly into the crowd.
Given this level of danger, it is understandable why people call for the authorities to take action.

Finding solutions be academic and use qualifying language


Part of the academic writing skill is learning to qualify what you say so that it is not too general.
Take a look at these two examples of qualifying phrases I add in to the improved version. Again,
the changes may seem small but taken together they can have a significant effect on your writing.
We live in a world where health and safety is an ever greater priority. One of the signs
of this is the demand that dangerous sports should be banned. While I understand that
argument, my view is that, within certain limits, people should retain the freedom to
participate in whatever sports they choose.
The counter argument is that people should be allowed to assume whatever risk they
choose. So, if someone wishes to freefall from a plane at 30,000 feet, then they should
be free to do so and it should be accepted that it is not the place of the government
to dictate how they lead their lives. A further point is that in statistical terms there is a
low probability of injury in many so-called dangerous sports and people are at greater
risk carrying out everyday activities such as crossing the road or cooking a meal as
bungee jumping.

Finding solutions focus your vocabulary learning on academic


vocabulary
This is in many ways the big one. Learning vocabulary takes time. One excellent way
to do it is simply to read and listen as much as possible. You will absorb more new
words that way than by sitting down and studying any word list. However, there is a
however. To get a high band score, you want to learn the right words to use in
essays. This is where the academic word list comes to your help.

Academic vocabulary and IELTS


Certain words in English are simply more academic than others. This does not necessarily mean
they are difficult words, it just means native speakers tend to use them more when they are
writing more formally. They are in other words exactly the sort of words you want in IELTS. Take
these examples from the improved essay:

retain
principal
assume
participate in
These are all excellent words to learn as they can be used in all sorts of different
contexts. All I would add is that you also need to learn how to use them and that is
where my daily word exercises come in.

Exercise on the AWL words in the essay


To see my point, have a go at this exercise based on improved essay:
AWL words in dangerous sports

How to structure IELTS essays


This lesson shows you a simple way to structure IELTS essays. Below I show a very simple
method (with a downloadable resource) I use myself and also show my students in class.

Read and understand the question


One key to it is understand the question and to be clear about what you want to say in your
response. Clear thinking leads to clear writing.As ever, the first step is to read and understand the
question. Here is the question today:
Despite advances in medicine there are concerns that certain diseases such as diabetes
are increasing and some people believe future generations will face greater problems with
health and die younger than we do today.
What is your opinion?
This question asks you to:
1.
2.

give your opinion this must be clear in the introduction and the conclusion
about whether health will be better in future this means that you need to talk
about the future and now there must be some comparison
3.
about whether people will live longer this needs to be mentioned to
All these things must be included.

Think about the examiner make your opinion and structure


clear give your essay a backbone
IELTS essays get marked quickly. You dont want to allow the examiner to make a mistake. So
make life easy for him/her by showing the structure of your essay as clearly as possible. There are
4 places you do this what I think of as being the spine of the essay. (your spine is your
backbone its what keeps you upright and gives you your structure).
the introduction thats the first thing they read and where you make your first
impression and first impressions count
2.
the first sentence of each paragraph (x2) examiners are taught that each
paragraph should have one main idea show them what it is in the first sentence
3.
the conclusion thats the last thing they read and the first thing they
remember!
1.

The key is link these things together so that

the introduction matches the conclusion the opinion/point of view is the same:
you just need to change the language
the two body paragraphs link to the opinion/point view in the introduction
To do this try this simple essay structure plan. It may just look like 4 boxes on a blank piece of
paper , but it might save your life!

Download my plan to structure IELTS essays


Structure IELTS essays plan (2069)

Think clearly about your opinion/point of view


You want your point of view to be clear. My basic rule is that if you cant say in 2 sentences, its too
complex. So part of the planning process may be deleting ideas that are too complex or that you
cant express clearly in English.

See my example
Im going to go for a balanced type essay with an argument that it health and longevity (living for a
long time) will get worse in the West but better in developing nations. Before I start writing I make
sure I can say this simply
I think health will get worse in the west but better in developing countries and this will affect how
long people live.

Build the spine of your essay see my example


All you need to do now is build the spine of the essay: the intro, first sentences and conclusion. I
really do do this using my essay structure plan above. I ended up with this. Take a look at it. See

how simple it is thats good, you do want a simple structure


how things repeat thats good too
I crossed out my idea about stress and mental health. Its a good idea, but
would make the essay too complex

Now get the words


This lesson wouldnt be complete if I didnt show you the end-product. Your plan is only good if it
helps you write well. Take a look at my opinions (in red) and the balance between developing
countries (in green) and the industrialised nations (in blue).

Introduction
There is no question that medicine has progressed dramatically over the last century, but this does
not mean that all our medical problems have been solved. Indeed, my belief is that the average life

span in the Western world may actually fall in the 21st century. This is in contrast to the situation in
developing countries where I expect health provision to improve and longevity to increase.

Paragraph 1
The main reason why overall health may become worse in the industrialised nations of the
West relates to modern lifestyles there.

Paragraph 2
The situation in the developing world is, however, quite different and overall health is likely
to improve.

Conclusion
My conclusion is therefore a mixed one. While it is true that people may face greater problems with
their health in the future, this only applies to industrialised nations and not to the developing
world where life expectancy may increase.

Two ways to write discussion essays for IELTS


This lesson shows you two different discussion essays for IELTS. Part of the idea is to show you
that there is always more than one way to approach an IELTS essay. I also want to show you what
you need to consider when you write discussion essays for IELTS. This means first looking at some
basic ideas about essays and then thinking about what discuss means.

Two basic principles


When you write discussion essays for IELTS you need to understand 2 basic principles that apply
to all IELTS essays:
your essay must answer the question fully
your essay must be coherent
To get both of these right you need to think clearly about your essay structure before you start
writing.

Identify discuss questions


The question can be asked in different ways the usual format is typically:
Discuss both these points of view and give your opinion
If the question asks you to discuss, you do just that: discuss.

Discuss can mean two things


In fact, the question never ever says write a discussion essay. The reason for this is that different
teachers have different ideas about what a discussion essay is. The idea is not to write a model
discussion essay, rather it is to discuss the topic in the question something quite different.
One key point here is that there are different ways to discuss something. Discuss includes both
these ideas:
stating what people think (perhaps saying why they believe this this is a more
objective approach)
commenting on what people think (perhaps saying what the pros and cons of their view is this
a more subjective approach)
For me, the better type of discussion essay is one that both states and comments on the different
views if you do this you will discuss better.

Get a logical and clear essay structure


There is absolutely no one structure for a discuss question in IELTS. You simply have to find a
structure that is logical and allows you to answer the question. You will find 3 different examples of
how to do this below in my essays. Whichever structure you choose, you need to decide first:
what is my introduction?
how am I going to write two/three clear topic paragraphs?
what is my conclusion?
do all the parts of my essay fit together?

See two different ways how to write a discussion essay

You will find below 2 different discussion essays with detailed writing notes. What you should see is
that:
both essays answer the question: they discuss the issue and give an opinion
one essay keeps the opinion to the end and discusses only objectively
the other establishes the opinion in the introduction and comments on the issues throughout the
essay

See a more objective discussion essay


See a more subjective discussion essay

Which is better?
I have a very strong preference for the second type of essay particularly if you are aiming for a high
score of 7.0 and above
it is typically more intelligent by adding comments on the points of view you get more to say and
you are able to discuss the views both objectively and subjectively this is likely to help you give
a much more complete answer by discussing the points of view fully and not merely stating
objectively what people think
it is typically much more coherent your point of view is clear throughout the whole essay and not
just the conclusion
it allows you to avoid some very tired formulaic language
Some people prefer the other structure. Here is why it may help
it is perhaps quicker to learn it often includes more formula language
it allows you to treat the two parts of the question separately: first their views and then your opinion
this can seem simpler especially at lower levels
it does not need much thinking time before you start writing as your own opinions only come in the
conclusion personally I dont believe that thats a good thing

Balanced essay structure for IELTS


This lesson talks you through an approach to writing balanced essays in IELTS. This is one form of
essay you should be prepared to write. It is certainly not the case that you have to express strong
opinions in essays, you simply have to express clear opinions. One way of doing this is to look at
both sides of the argument and consider their merits in turn this is a balanced essay. The best
time to use this approach is when you yourself can see merit in both sides of the argument it is
not the case that this approach is restricted to Discussion essays: it is quite possible to use it in
Argument essays.

Essay structure and coherence


One key to writing a balanced essay is to make sure that the structure is coherent. This means that
all the parts of the essay should fit together as a whole. The idea is to make sure that anyone
reading the essay understands that it is looking at both sides of the issue. This should be clear
at all stages of the essay. A common problem is that one part of the essay does not fit into the

main structure.To do this, you need to consider:


planning the whole essay before you start writing
linking the different parts of the essay together
writing the essay as part of a process go back and read what have just written
before you write the next bit
concentrating on the intro/topic sentences and the conclusion

The basic approach


The basic approach is quite simple: in each topic paragraph you consider a different/opposing
point of view. You then summarise your view about which side you prefer in the conclusion. In an
exam essay, it is almost certainly the best advice not to try and discuss the two points of view at
the same time in one paragraph. If you do this it is quite likely that the argument becomes
confused and your main goal is clarity.
In this form of essay, it is conventional to look at the side you disagree with first. This allows you to
find a natural link between your final content paragraph and the conclusion they should be saying
almost the same thing.

Introduction
The goal here is to state clearly that the essay is going to take a balanced position and/or look at
both sides of the issue. This means examiner/reader should understand from the introduction your
position and how essay will be structured. In practice this means that in the intro you should try to:

identify both sides of the argument


show that there is merit on both sides
identify which side you favour, (the balanced approach) and/or
say you will look at both sides (the more neutral approach)
In the two example below, you should see the difference between these two approaches.
Neutral approach
In this approach, you merely state that both sides have merit and say you will look at both sides of
the case.

While there are grounds to argue that it would benefit society and young people themselves if
teenagers were made to do unpaid work in the community, it can equally be argued that this would
be an infringement of their rights. In this essay, I shall examine the merits of both sides of the
argument and state my own opinion.
Balanced approach
This is the approach I generally prefer as you clearly identify your position on one side of the
argument or the other. I believe it is better because it is simply clearer.
There are grounds to argue that it would benefit society and young people themselves if teenagers
were made to do unpaid work in the community. While this is an interesting proposal and has some
merit, my own view is that it would infringe their rights.

Main body
In the main body, there are two ideas to focus on:
1.
2.

the paragraphs should balance each other


the paragraphs should link back to position in the introduction

Balancing your paragraphs


The key to making sure your paragraphs balance each other is to use your topic/first sentences
reflect each other. The examiner/reader should immediately understand how the paragraph fits into
the structure of the essay. A simple way of doing this is to use similar introductory language in each
paragraph. In the example below, it should be easy to see (even without the highlighting) how the
following paragraphs balance each other and reflect each others language.
One argument in favour of making teenagers to do voluntary work in the community is that it would
benefit society. It is certainly true that there is a shortage of labour in many parts of the public
sector and if young people worked, then many public services would improve. For example, it
would be quite possible for teenagers to do part-time jobs in the health such as working as hospital
porters. This would have the effect of ensuring patients got better care and would allow trained
professionals to concentrate on more skilled tasks something that would benefit society as a
whole.
A second argument is that teenagers would mature as individuals if they went out to work,
especially if it was in the voluntary sector. Currently, many teenagers have little sense of social
responsibility and spend much of their free time plying basketball or computer games. If, however,
they were given real life tasks to do, they would learn important life skills such as responsibility,
teamwork and leadership. These skills would almost certainly benefit them in their later careers.
Despite these arguments, there is an equally strong case to be made that it would be morally
wrong to force teenagers to go out to work, particularly if they did not earn a salary. This can be
explained by the fact that in recent years, there has been a global movement to stop the practice of
child labour. The main philosophy behind this movement is that childhood, including the teenage
years, should be a time for education and growth, not work. It would not just send the wrong
message out if teenagers were made to do voluntary work, there is also the real danger that young
people would be exploited in the workplace.

Linking back to the introduction


A second skill is to make sure that your topic paragraphs refer back to the position in the
introduction. This is because it is important to maintain a constant position throughout the
essay -something that can often go wrong with balanced essays. Again, a simple to achieve this is
to make sure that the language and ideas of the first\topic sentences is reflected in the
introduction.
This means that you should really have a clear idea of your whole essay before you write the
introduction. A second tip is that in the process of writing the content paragraphs of your essay you
should refer back to the introduction to borrow language and ideas from there. If you look at the
examples below, you should see how the first sentence of each paragraph links clearly back to the
introduction.
While there are grounds to argue that it would benefit society and young people themselves if
teenagers were made to do unpaid work in the community, it can equally be argued that this would
be an infringement of their rights. In this essay, I shall examine the merits of both sides of the
argument
One argument in favour of making teenagers to do voluntary work in the community is that it
would benefit society.
A second argument is that teenagers would mature as individuals if they went out to work,
especially if it was in the voluntary sector.
Despite these arguments, there is an equally strong case to be made that it would be morally
wrong to force teenagers to go out to work, particularly if they did not earn a salary

The conclusion
The same ideas apply to the conclusion: the language and ideas of the intro and the first/topic
sentences should be reflected here too. You may also consider referring back to some of the
details of your argument to emphasise that you are able to support your case with reasons and
examples. Do that and the the essay should be coherent. Again, it greatly helps if you remember to
go back and re-read the essay before you write the conclusion.
Some people think that teenagers should do unpaid work to help society because this will
help them to be better individuals and also improve the society as a whole. To what extent
do you agree or disagree with this proposal?
While there are grounds to argue that it would benefit society and young people themselves if
teenagers were made to do unpaid work in the community, it can equally be argued that this would
be an infringement of their rights. In this essay, I shall examine the merits of both sides of the
argument.
One argument in favour of making teenagers to do voluntary work in the community is that it
would benefit society. It is certainly true that there is a shortage of labour in many parts of the
public sector and if young people worked, then many public services would improve. For example,
it would be quite possible for teenagers to do part-time jobs in the health such as working as
hospital porters. This would have the effect of ensuring patients got better care and would allow
trained professionals to concentrate on more skilled tasks something that would benefit society
as a whole.

A second argument is that teenagers would mature as individuals if they went out to work,
especially if it was in the voluntary sector. Currently, many teenagers have little sense of social
responsibility and spend much of their free time plying basketball or computer games. If, however,
they were given real life tasks to do, they would learn important life skills such as responsibility,
teamwork and leadership. These skills would almost certainly benefit them in their later careers.
Despite these arguments, there is an equally strong case to be made that it would be morally
wrong to force teenagers to go out to work, particularly if they did not earn a salary. This can be
explained by the fact that in recent years, there has been a global movement to stop the practice of
child labour. The main philosophy behind this movement is that childhood, including the teenage
years, should be a time for education and growth, not work. It would not just send the wrong
message out if teenagers were made to do voluntary work, there is also the real danger that young
people would be exploited in the workplace.
In conclusion, I believe that while there are real merits on both sides of the argument, the moral
case againstforcing young people to work slightly outweighs any benefit to society or to
teenagers as individuals. This is reinforced by belief in the principle that childhood is a time for
education and fear of the danger of exploitation.

Footnote on essay writing and essay structures


The ideas in this lesson are all contained in my series of lessons on the process of essay writing.
Much of the secret of writing a good essay in the exam is not to go in with a pre-prepared plan, but
to make sure that as you write you concentrate on the question in front of you and organising your
language and thoughts in answer to that question.

If you like it, why not share it or save it?

Dealing with double questions essay tasks


One common but tricky task in IELTS is when you get an essay that combines two different
questions. This can cause problems with essay structure. The main idea is that you must
answer both part of the questions
if you dont you may well get penalised for task achievement. To get this right you need to think
carefully about essay structure before you start.

General approach
My suggested approach is the same as for any type of essay question:
Understand the question
Decide on your point of view
Make the point of view clear in the introduction
Decide how to use your 2/3 main body paragraphs
Use the conclusion to reflect your introduction
The tricky part is probably getting the introduction and conclusion right.

Understand the question make sure you understand both parts


of the question
The first step is to understand the question and see that the question is asking you to do two
things. A typical question looks like this:
Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of
technology.
In what ways has technology affected the types of personal relationships?
Has this become a positive or negative development?

Think about structure


You should see immediately that there are 2 questions and the sensible approach is to structure
your answer so that is 100% clear to the examiner that you have answered both parts. Before you
start writing it is 100% important that you think about what the questions are asking you to do.

Think about what the questions ask you to do

Quite often with this type of question the two separate parts ask you to write in different ways
and that typically (not always) one part of the question will ask you to discuss a problem and the
other part of the question will ask you to give an opinion.
So in the example question

In what ways has technology affected the types of personal relationships? is a discussion type
question which you can write more objectively
Has this become a positive or negative development? is an opinion question which requires
a subjective opinion answer
This means your answer has two include two separate parts a more general discussion and an
opinion.

Suggested overall structure


My overall structure would look like this
Introduction
This is the issue. Technology has changed relationships.
Change happens in different ways
Opinion about whether change positive or negative
Main paragraph A different types of change
A listing type paragraph showing the types of change written as a discussion
Main paragraph B opinion about positive or negative
A more opinion type paragraph with emphasis on why changes in paragraph A are good or bad
Conclusion
Short summary as to why positive or negative and what change is most significant.

Getting the introduction right


As I say, this may be the tough part of the essay as you need to make sure that in one paragraph
you
identify both parts of the question
make sure your opinion/point of view is clear
This may mean that you will spend a little more time and energy on the the introduction than you
would for other question types as you may have more to do.

Close Me
Model introduction
Here is my example:
Advances in technology have without doubt influenced the way we communicate with each other in
a number of different ways. While some of this change can have a negative influence on the we
way interact, my view is that overall modern technology typically improves communication in
personal relationships.

Close Me
Notes
You should see that I clearly identify the two parts of the question:
Advances in technology have without doubt influenced the way we communicate with each other in
a number of different ways.While some of this change can have a negative influence on the we way
interact, my view is that overall modern technology typically improves communication in personal
relationships.
Also note that I am 100% clear that I will have an opinion as the question asks me to do
Advances in technology have without doubt influenced the way we communicate with each other in
a number of different ways.While some of this change can have a negative influence on the we way
interact, my view is that overall modern technology typically improves communication in personal
relationships.

Suggested structure for main body paragraphs


The simple and clear way to do this is to use a separate main body paragraph in your essay for
each question. That way it will clear straightaway that you are on task. It may be possible to
combine the two parts of the question in different ways, but dont bother. Do the simple thing.
Simple is good in exam circumstances. My very strong suggestion is
paragraph A discuss how technology has changed relationships
paragraph B discuss if this is a positive or negative

Linking your paragraphs and being consistent


If you are aiming for a higher band score you also want to find a link between your two main body
paragraphs. This will help your coherence score. My suggestion here is that you start the
paragraph B about whether this is negative or positive by referring back to the changes in
paragraph A. The key word is this or these.

Close Me
Model paragraphs
Paragraph A
It is clear that technology has changed the way we communicate in several respects. Perhaps the
clearest example of this is that nowadays many people prefer to keep in touch to their friends and
relatives using applications and social networking sites like FaceTime, Skype and
Facebook. Another way this change is evident is how the email and texting have almost
completely replaced the letter as the primary form of written communication. Because these
modern forms of communication are typically much more convenient and instant, one result is
that we can communicate more easily with people who we do not see on a daily basis.
Paragraph B
I would argue that these innovations have mostly improved personal relationships. The principal
benefit is that it just so much easier to stay in touch with people we might otherwise lose contact

with. It is for example now very straightforward to keep in contact with friends from university who
move to different cities after they graduate and this means relationships last longer. The only real
drawback is that sometimes people become so addicted to their online social networks that they
stop communicating with friends in the real world. That, however, is a minor issue.

Close Me
Notes
You should see that Paragraph A lists different ways technology affects personal relationships:
email/FB etc.
This is quite a neutral paragraph as my opinion is coming in the Paragraph B. You should see that
the examples in paragraph A are referred to in paragraph B.
You need to be careful to make sure your ideas are consistent. Most of the examples in my
paragraph A are positive because my paragraph B is positive. If you want a negative paragraph B,
then your examples in paragraph A should be negative too.

The conclusion
Just as with the introduction you want to try and identify both parts of the question. Ideally, you
want to refer to the different changes and your opinion.

Close Me
Model conclusion
My conclusion is therefore that new forms technological communication have in fact largely
improved human interaction because emails, texting and social networks enable us to maintain
friendships which might otherwise be lost.

Notes
This is a great conclusion as it covers both parts of the essay task. It also manages to include my
main reason.
The top top top tip is to re-read your essay before you write the conclusion. That way it is much
easier to write a summary like this.

The process of writing an IELTS essay


The key word in the title of this lesson is process. The idea is that if you want to write a successful
exam essay, it helps to think of the essay not just as a product but something that is produced as a
result of the process of writing. If you miss out on one of the stages of this process, then the essay
itself may not work.To get this right, it helps to understand the different stages in the process of
writing and what you want to achieve at each stage of the process.
And so what you will find here is

a little bit more about why I think it helps to concentrate on the process of
writing an essay
a suggested process with explanation about what you should think about in
each stage
advice on common mistakes that can happen if a stage in the process is missed
out
a practice exercise
I should add that there is no magic formula here. This is just one process that I believe works for
IELTS essays. You may be familiar with other processes. Thats fine. The smart candidate will
adapt what they read here to themselves.

Why writing should be a process avoiding two very common


problems
1. incoherence essays that do not fit together
If you think of your writing as a process, then you are much more likely to go through all the stages
of an essay (step 1, step 2. step 3 etc) and to recognise the importance of each part of an essay.
This way you are more likely to make your writing coherent. If, however, you think of an essay as a
whole product , it is much easier to miss out a vital step and the essay as a result becomes
incoherent.

2. the wrong essay an essay you already know or the wrong


question
The danger with pre-planned essays is that they dont answer the question. You sit down and start
writing an essay which is already in your head and not one that answers the question in front of
you.
Alternatively, you may get a question type that you are unfamiliar with. In this situation, it helps to
have a routine or process you can rely on. You can still answer the question, even if it seems to be
a question type you dont know. Learn the skill of writing an essay, learn the process of exam essay
writing and life becomes easier.

The pre-writing process


In many many cases, this is where things go wrong and this is the part of the process that gets
forgotten in the heat of the exam. There is always time for this part of the process its not
something that should be automatic and forgotten.

Stage 1 read and understand the question

Many good essays go wrong simply because they dont answer the question that is being asked.
All IELTS essay questions have a precise question that needs to be answered. If you fail to give
time to reading and understanding the question, you are most unlikely to answer it well. A
possible problem here is that some candidates may come from an academic background where it
is enough to write about the general topic within the question. That doesnt work in IELTS. To avoid
this common mistake simply make giving enough time to read and understand the question part of
your writing routine.

Common mistakes
You get an essay topic, you have written before. You write the same answer. The
question is different.
You write about a general topic, not the question itself.
You simply misunderstand what the question is asking you to do.

Stage 2 think dont just plan, really think


I could call this stage in the process Plan. Here I prefer the word Think. The danger with plans
are that they may be ready-made and they may not fit the question in front of you. I prefer the word
Think because it is more likely to get you looking at the question in front of you and deciding how
you can answer it using your language, knowledge and experience at that moment. Part of the
point is that you should treat each different essay as a new essay. You can borrow
structures/ideas/language from essays you have written in the past, but you need to make certain
they apply to the question in front of you. That means thinking: thinking not just about what to
include but what not to include. Your ideas must link together to form a whole that requires more
thought.

Common mistakes
The ideas and examples are fine, they dont relate to the question as it is asked
You start writing and then half way through you realise that your essay doesnt
make sense its too late to start over

The writing process


I think it can help to divide the writing process into 3 to reflect the 3 parts of your essay. Each part
of your essay does a different job to do, so why not treat each part of the essay as a different stage
in the process?

Stage 3 write an introduction look both backwards and


forwards
The intro matters for various reasons. Not the least of these is that it is the first thing the examiner
reads. Get it wrong and you have made an immediate bad impression. Thats not good. Another
point to focus on in this part of the process is that the intro is the link between the question and
your answer. In this stage of the process, I suggest you need to ensure that you are looking back at
the question (to make sure that you are writing about the right thing) and forwards towards your
answer (that anyone reading knows what you are talking about).

Common problem to be avoided


You dont identify the question correctly
Its not clear what your position to the question is

Stage 4 develop your ideas in the main body be clear about


what you think and explain it
To me, this stage of the process is slightly different and it requires you to think in a different way.
The idea is that you dont just need to give an answer to the question: the answer needs to be
coherent. This largely means two things. Firstly, you need to make sure that your ideas are clear
one main idea per paragraph. You also need to be able to explain those ideas and show why/how
they relate to the question.

Common problems
Theres too much detail and it isnt clear what the main idea is
The ideas arent supported with reasons and examples
The ideas are good but they dont relate to the question

Stage 5 summarise the ideas in your conclusion make sure


your essay is a whole
No essay would be complete without a conclusion of course. The writing skill is slightly different
here too. I would suggest that it is different because it is a reading then writing skill you cant very
well write a conclusion until/unless you have read your essay. This is because your conclusion
makes your essay complete by going back to the introduction and reflecting the question there and
also looking back to the main body and picking out your main points there. Itsa different writing
skill because you are trying to say as much as possible in only a few words that is what a
summary is!

Common mistakes
sometimes the conclusion doesnt get written that means you havent written
an essay
sometimes the conclusion doesnt match the content of the essay or, even
worse, it doesnt answer the question

Stage 6 go over what you wrote


The reality of exam essays is that you only have one chance to get it right. You dont have time to
write it once and then improve it as you would with a piece of real academic writing. That said, it
is important to check what you write. My personal suggestion is that this stage of the process gets
repeated during the entire writing stage do not leave it to the end. Thats almost certainly too late.

A practice exercise you can learn more from rewriting an old


essay than writing a new essay
This is boring perhaps but it is a real learning exercise. Find an essay you have already written.
Write it again. The idea is not so much to correct mistakes in your old essay, its to be aware of the
process of writing. It works to take an old essay because you already have ideas and words for it.
You dont have to worry so much about content (the what) more about the process (the how).

Concentrate on each phase of the process ask yourself the question what I
am trying to do now?
Dont worry about timing too much it may even make sense to have a cup of
tea between each stage

Reading and understanding IELTS essay


questions
The emphasis of this lesson is only this: that it pays to spend time reading and understanding
the question. The general message is that while this is normally a simple step in the essay writing

process, it is vitally important because:


there is always a question to be answered it wont just be about a general
topic
your essay needs to focus on that question as it is asked this is Task Response
25% of your mark
more generally, many IELTS essays go wrong before they have even started as
the question isnt identified or understood
To help with this. I briefly talk you through 5 possible ideas to help you understand questions. Most
of ideas are very simple and in exams simple tends to be good. There are also a couple of
exercises for you to test your skills.

Thinking about questions 5 ideas to consider


Here are 5 different ways to think about questions. You dont need to use them all. All I suggest is
that consider them all and choose the one(s) that work for you. The rule, as ever, is to do what
works although you may find that what doesnt work now may work later, and that if you keep on
doing only the same thing, your writing may not improve but stay the same.
1. analyse the question find the task
The idea here is to break the question down into parts and look at what is the task and what is
background information only. Typically, IELTS essay questions come in two parts: the first part
introduces the topic/background information and the second part tells you what you have to write.
That second bit is the task and the task is the bit your essay must answer.
2. underline key words
If you are a more visual thinker, then it can help to underline/highlight key words to make you focus
on the question. There is a danger here though that you focus too much on those words and ignore
the meaning of the question as a whole.
3. rephrase the question in your words
This may seem to be a waste of time in the exam, but it can in fact be very practical. The benefit of
doing this is that you are much more likely to understand the question if you put it into your own
words. Also, it need not be a waste of time because you are very likely going to rephrase the
question in your introduction too and you can use what you write in the intro.
4. categorise the question/essay

Some people like to put essays into categories such as opinion essay discussion essay
argument essay etc and decide to answer the question based on a certain model. To do this, you
look at the question and decide what type of essay it wants. This can help because it makes the
planning of your essay less stressful its already half done. Id add though:

you want to be flexible in how you use your models and remember to focus on
the question in front of you. This is especially true if you want a high band score, then
you need to learn to vary your models or have a much greater range of models.
you get a mark for answering the question , not writing a discussion essay or
following a particular model. The examiners do not have a special set of criteria for
different models of essay and it can be misleading to think that any one question must
be written according to one model.
5. count the questions
Questions vary. Some questions require more than one answer. These can be dangerous
questions because if you only answer one part of it, you will lose considerably on Task Response.
Simple answer. Count how many questions there are.

A quick quiz can you match the question to the introduction?


In the quiz below you will find 4 different IELTS essay questions and one model introduction. All of
the questions relate to the same topic town and country (an old favourite). Your job is simply to
decide which essay the introduction is for. The idea is to show you some of the ways an essay can
go wrong if you dont take time to fully understand the question.
To do the exercise you need to understand that your introduction should refer back to the question
and show that you have understood it you cant write an introduction if you dont understand
the question and if you get the intro wrong, the whole essay will likely go wrong.
An increasing number of people choose to work in cities in order to receive the higher salaries on
offer there, but live in the countryside for the peace and quiet. While there is much to be said for
this, particularly for families with young children, there are also a number of drawbacks to this
lifestyle.
Question 1
PARTIAL-CREDIT
What was the question? The idea is that your introduction must identify the question
as it is asked. That means understanding what the task is.

In many countries there has been an exodus of people from rural areas to live in big cit
factors have caused this to happen and is it a positive development?

Hint:

This a double question. The introduction does not identify either part of the question. Th
would need to focus on why people are moving from the country to the city and indicat
this is a good or bad thing. Neither of these is in the intro.

Some people believe that it is preferable to raise their children in the countryside becau
growing dangers of modern urban life. To what extent do you agree with this point of vi

Hint:

This question asks you to say how much ("To what extent") you think it is better for chil
brought up in the countryside than the city because cities are getting more dangerous.
introduction, though, does not really identify this question - it is mentioned only briefly
context of commuting.

Many people say that that the modern ideal is to live in the countryside, but work in the
what extent do you agree with this point of view?

Hint:

This was the question. The introduction works because it identifies the question as bein
much do you think that it is a good idea to work in the city but live in the country." The
opinion is also made clear by saying that there is much to be said for it but it has proble
both good and bad.

An increasing number of people choose to live in the countryside and commute to work
There are those, however, who prefer to live and work in the same place. Discuss both
view and give your own opinion.

Hint:

Close but no cigar. This is a form of 2 part question. The essay (and intro) need to ident
discuss whether it is better to commute to work in the city and live in the country OR w
better to live and work in one place. This second idea is not mentioned in the intro. The
written only answers the yopic and not the task part of the question.
Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will
be marked incorrect.

Get Results

You have completed 1/1 question.


Your score is 67%.

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Understanding the task words


Nearly all IELTS questions are relatively simple to interpret. They tell you pretty much exactly how
to write your essay. Mostly, you just need to think about what the question asks you to do. Try this
quiz which takes some of the more common question types.
Question 1

PARTIAL-CREDIT
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
You need to say what you think

Hint:
Yes, it tells you to give your own opinion

You can choose to write about one side of the argument

Hint:
No. It clearly says that you must write about both views.

You need to decide which view is best

Hint:

Not really. Your opinion could be that there is merit on both sides of the argument. It is
stay on the fence. You do not have to state a strong opinion: you need to state a clear o
something that is very different.

Question 2
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The question wants you to say if you agree or disagree

It is possible to write an essay about only one side of the argument.

You should not give your opinion.

You can decide to agree only slightly with one point of view.

It is better to express a strong opinion.

Question 3
In what ways has technology affected the types of relationship that people make? Has
this become a positive or negative development?

You need to list/outline different ways technology has changed relationships.

You need to say whether this has been a good or bad thing.

If you think that it has been both a good and bad thing you can say that.

It's enough to say how technology has changed relationships.

It's enough to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of technology

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will
be marked incorrect.

Get Results

You have completed 1/3 questions .


Your score is 50%.

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Further practice and reading


One simple suggestion is to go back over essays you have written in the past and look at the
introduction to your essay. Can you write out the question by only reading your essay introduction
and/or conclusion? If so, thats a very good sign that you properly read and understood the
question.
Ryan of IELTS IELTS has an excellent article on interpreting variations in essay questions. If you
are unsure about how to interpret a question, I suggest you go read. He goes into a little more
detail than I do here and he has a distinction between argument and discussion essays you might
want to think about, but the message is largely the same.

Planning IELTS essays the thinking stage


A key stage in writing the IELTS exam essay is the planning stage. Very often whether you write an
effective essay depends on how well you think before you start writing. The trouble is that often it
does not get done or done inefficiently.
This lesson is divided into 2 main sections.In the first the emphasis is on making sure that your
plans are practical that they fit your essay. The second section simply outlines different things
you might want to plan . The overall concept is that the more clearly you think before the writing
phase, the clearer and the better your essay will be. The key word there for me is think.
Planning though does tend to be a very personal process and different things will work for different
people. This is part of the reason for giving you options. There is little right or wrong and the
question is: does it work? Try the ideas if they work, use them if they dont, try something else!

Exam practicalities be prepared before the exam practice and


learn some skills

Make a plan for how long you plan before you walk into the exam room, you
should know more or less how long you expect to plan for
Know how you will plan the exam is not a time for experimentation there
are different ways of making plans find out which way(s) works for you before the
exam
Know what you will plan there are different things you may plan know
what you personally need to plan before the exam

Planning for a purpose make sure your plan is practical


Its important that you make your plan practical. A good plan doesnt need to look good, it needs to
help you write an essay under pressure. Here are 3 ideas to give your plan a purpose so that it
helps you write better. Sometimes plans go wrong or arent made simply because they arent
practical.

Am I clear in my own head about what I want to say? Can I


summarise it?
Aim: If youre not clear in your own head, then your writing almost certainly wont be. Clarity is key
to a good IELTS essay -without it youll lose both on Task response and Coherence.
Skill: Try doing the Twitter thing and summarising your point of view to the question in 140
characters before you start writing. It needt be 140 characters of course, but if you cant write a
short summary statement before you start writing, then quite possibly your ideas arent quite clear
enough.
Practical use: Depending on how you write the essay, you can then use this summary in either
your intro or conclusion.

Can I see the structure of the essay in my head? Can I draw my essay?
Aim: The idea here is that your essay should form one complete whole. Sometimes in the process
of writing it is easy to get lost in the detail of what youre trying to say. The solution is to make sure
that you can see in your head (or on a piece of paper) what the final essay will look like.
Skill: What I personally do here is draw a picture of my essay.Its much quicker than writing things
out and visual often works. How much detail you include will depend on you. I typically dont
include much as I am concentrating on the structure of the essay, not the detail.
Practical use: This is practical as drawing a plan is quicker than writing one and time is of the
essence.

I choose to put not much detail on my drawn plan just the main ideas and notes of reasons and
examples. I use it as a map and I find too much detail can confuse. You may like to put more detail
there. Experiment.

Do I know what details to include? Can I tell my main points from my


examples and reasons?
Aim: The idea here is to make sure that you are able to support your arguments with supporting
reasons/examples. One reason some essays go wrong is that the main ideas are not supported.
Its no good having a great idea in an IELTS essay unless you can explain it.
Skill: It often helps to categorise your ideas. You want to sort out what are main points and what
are supporting reasons and examples.If you can do this, you have made a big step towards writing
coherent paragraphs paragraphs that are made up of main points, supported by reasons and
ideas.
Practical use: This is extremely practical. When you get to write your main paragraphs, you should
be much better able to combine your ideas so that are coherent with the main idea supported by
reasons and examples.

What to plan -some different options


Another way of thinking about plans and making them practical is to think precisely about what you
want to plan. The idea here is that you dont just plan, you go into the exam room knowing what
you are going to plan. That way you have a better chance of using your time wisely. Id suggest that
these 5 options are all things you should consider thinking about and planning before you start
writing.

1.Your position to the question


What:This means that you should be clear about whether you agree/disagree etc.

Why: The examiner looks for a clearly established and coherent position throughout the essay: if
you dont have this in your head before you start, your essay will lose on Task Response and
Coherence
Tip: Its a simple thing.Read the task words in the question. If it says To what extent do you agree
or disagree, make a sentence saying I agree with this idea to some extent

2. The structure of the essay


What: You need to decide how many paragraphs you will write and what the function of each
paragraph is, ie supporting or disagreeing.
Model essay plans note: many candidate like to follow model plans. That can work. It doesnt
mean that you dont need to think about them in the exam though. The model must fit the question.

3. The vocabulary you want to use


What:this may seem a little strange but it can work. If you are familiar with brainstorming
techniques, it is sometimes easier to come up with words than ideas. You often find then that those
words give you

A top tip dont think of ideas, think of main points, reasons and
examples
The reason for this is that you dont need ideas, you need main points, reasons and examples to
write complete paragraphs and you need to be clear about which is which.

4.The main points:


What: these are often very simple and may be no more than I agree or I disagree. One of your
aims should be to be clear and it helps to keep your main points as clear as possible.

5.Supporting reasons
What and why: these may be more complex.You need them because both Task Response and
Coherence require you to support your ideas.
Tip: It is sometimes as simple as asking yourself the question Why do I think this?

6. Examples
Why: Examples are useful as they help you expand your main points into complete paragraphs.
Tip: Your examples do not need to be clever. The rubric asks you to use examples from your own
knowledge and experience. To get examples,it can help to ask yourself the question about
examples you know of personally.In exams it is often easier to think of memories.

One final tip learn to select that means not including all your
ideas
Many essays go wrong because they try and include too much everything that is in the plan. If
you want to write a coherent essay in exam time, you need to make sure that all your ideas fit
together. Choose the ones that suit argument,leave out the ones that dont no matter how good
they are.

Further reading
Purdue OWL is one of the top writing resources on the internet. It has many, many good
things.Check out its brainstorming page and follow the links from there.

The introduction the link between the


question and the essay
The idea behind this lesson is that as you sit down to write your introduction in the exam, you focus
on two things that all good intros do: identifying the question and explaining your position towards
it. There may be other things you might include in your intro, but these two points are key and if you
focus on them, then you should be able to write an introduction that is clear and clarity is
essential in an essay introduction.

Overview the introduction looking backwards and forwards


A good place to start is to understand the introductions role in the essay. One possible way of
doing this is just to see it as the link between your essay and the question it looks both
backwards to the question and forwards to what you will write in the essay. If you understand that
the question always asks you to write an answer saying what you think about that question
(whether in opinion/argument/discussion format), then you should see that the intro should:
1.
explain the question
2.
outline your position in relation to it

Identifying the question looking backwards


The next step is to be aware of two problems that you may face when identifying the question. A
problem known is a problem at least half-solved.

Complex questions
Disruptive school students have a negative influence on others. Students who are noisy and
disobedient should be grouped together and taught separately.
Do you agree or disagree?
If you look at this question, you should see that it is complex as are most IELTS
questions. It is complex because it contains different parts. There is the background
info Disruptive school students have a negative influence on others, the
proposition Students who are noisy and disobedient should be grouped together and
taught separately and the task Do you agree or disagree?
My best suggestion is that with questions such as these you should make sure that
your intro identifies both what I call here the background and the proposition. This
may mean your introduction is slightly longer, but it should ensure that you answer
the complete question. If you dont, you may lose on Task Response and Coherence.

Repeating the question


A second problem you may face is that you simply repeat the question. This is serious because if
you use the same wording as the question, the examiner may simply delete those words. You think

you have written 260 words, but in fact it is only230 words. There will be penalised on Task
Response heavily.

Tip: learn the skill of summary writing


A useful (perhaps necessary) skill here is the skill of summarising. To do this, you need to
understand that you can use words from the question sometimes you have no choice as the word
used is simply the correct word and it would be a mistake to change it. What you should not do is
repeat whole blocks of words. How can you do this in an exam? Try this technique.

Read the question


Note key words think of any synonyms
Rewrite the question from those words without looking at the question (if
you do, it is much harder not to repeat things)
Look back at the question to see if you have covered all the main points
You may find this easier, if you have planned vocabularyearlier.

Exercise test your summary skills


Look at this question and then read my summary notes. Can you write an introduction using those
notes or your own words.
Disruptive school students have a negative influence on others. Students who are noisy and
disobedient should be grouped together and taught separately.
Do you agree or disagree?
Notes
My own version uses some original words from the question and some phrases of my own. I wrote
it looking at these notes. Some words I use, some I dont and some others I change. These are just
notes.

disruptive [create disturbance synonym]


school children [school children cant think of another word pupils(?)]
do not pay attention to the teacher [noisy and disobedient]
bad effect [negative influence on others synonym]
by themselves [separately synonym]
have own class [grouped together similar idea ]

Close Me

A serious problem is caused in many schools by children who not only do not pay
attention to their teacher but also disrupt their classmates. One proposed solution is to
place these children in separate classes to minimise disruption. While there is
something to be said for this, I do not believe that it is practical.

Exercise write the question


Heres an exercise you can try with one of your own essays. Read the essay introduction and then
write the question. If you have written the intro well,you should also be able to rewrite the question.
The introduction
There is some dispute whether the best method of assessing students is to use examinations or
some form of continuous assessment. This is a complex issue and my belief is that there is
probably no one method that applies to all educational systems.

Close Me

Some people believe that exams are an inappropriate way of measuring students
performance and should be replaced by continuous assessment. Do you agree or
disagree with this view?

Outlining your position looking forwards


My other very strong suggestion for the introduction is to outline your position. This is the part that
looks forward to the rest of the essay. The reason for doing this is that to get a high score for
Coherence and Task Response, you need to have a consistent position throughout the essay and
that includes the intro.

Two different approaches


There are different ways of outlining your position in an introduction. Broadly, these fall into two
categories either you give your answer/opinion or you simply say how you will approach the
question. Both can work.

1.Give the answer at the beginning


Here you state what you think in the intro. For example:
Some people believe that parents should teach children how to be good members of
society. Others,however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both views
and give your opinion
A childs education has never been about learning information and basic skills only. It has always
included teaching the next generation how to be good members of society. Therefore this cannot
be the responsibility of the parents alone. (Cambridge IELTS 8 model answer)
More complex examples may also include reference to the reasons for the point of view. This adds
coherence to the essay by linking forward to the main paras. Though if you want to do this you
should normally try to use only a few words. The content is for the main paras.

2.Say how you will approach the question


Here you dont give your opinion up front, you just say how you will approach the question:
Some believe museums should entertain people, while others believe their purpose is to
educate. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Museums often represent different things to different people. On the one hand, many people feel a
museums primary purpose is to entertain. However, others feel they function to house an
educational resource. The merits of both arguments will be analyzed before a conclusion is
decided upon. IELTS Writing Blog
Which is better? Neither though my preference is for the first type. You might note that both these
questions are Discuss questions. There is always more than one approach available.
[divide]

How many sentences?


There is no answer to this. It is perfectly possible to write a good intro to an IELTS essay in 2
sentences. It is also possible to write 4 sentences. Two points to note though are:
1.

the introduction is a map to the essay you want to spend as much time writing
the content of the essay as as possible. The more time you spend on the intro, the less
you have for the content
2.
some questions are more complex than others and have 2 parts. These
questions may need longer introductions

Further reading
An excellent introduction to introductions is to be found at Writefix. You may need to decide to
adapt the advice there for exams.
You may also want to play with the Essay Map at readwritethink: its an interesting tool that shows
you how the different parts of an essay fit together.

The content paragraphs some checklists for


before you write
The main body of your essay is the most important part and requires the most thought. In this
lesson I give you some checklists of things to think about as you write, or before you write, the
main paras. It is good to focus on what you are trying to do before you write,but there is a danger
that you will confuse yourself if you try and think of too many things. If so, remember just this:
your writing score is

25%
25%
25%
25%

Task response
Coherence and Cohesion
Vocabulary
Grammar

If you are well prepared, then that may be enough information. I would emphasise, however, that it
still pays to stop before you write each paragraph and ask yourself how you will answer the
task, be coherent and cohesive, use a range of vocab and write accurately. You might even
do this before each sentence!

Coherence linking your thoughts


Coherence is how well your ideas link together and is the skill of making sense it is something
you should focus on as you write. In essays, it works at two levels and as you write you need to
think about both of these:
1.

Do the paragraphs link together so that my essay makes sense.? This is a


question of essay structure.
2.
Do the sentences in the paragraphs link together so that the paragraphs make
sense? This is a question of paragraph structure.

Essay structure is coherence decide on the role of paragraphs


Nearly all IELTS essays follow a simple structure. There are either going to be 4 or 5 paragraphs in
all with 2 or 3 body paragraphs. These paragraphs will generally do one of 3 things: support each
other by making the same point in a different way, say something that takes the opposite point of
view or make a separate point altogether. This means that in the exam you have to answer 2
questions:
1.
2.

How many paragraphs am I going to write?


Will those paragraphs support each other, take opposite views or make separate
points
My best suggestion when you think about the essay structure is that you dont worry about the
type of essay you are writing: Opinion/Argument etc. You just answer those 2 questions.
This is a simpler approach and there is always more than one way to answer a question. All you
need to worry about is whether your approach is logical and answers the question in front of you.

Essay structure is topic sentences too identify the main points


in your first/topic sentences
If you have planned well, you should already know your essay structure particularly if you have
drawn an essay map. All the same I do think it is wise to refocus on this as you begin each content
paragraph. The goal is to make sure that what you are about to write does link back to the
introduction. In practical terms, this means that you make sure that the first sentence in each
paragraph clearly states what that paragraph is about and that idea is found in the introduction
these are the famous topic sentences.
Top tip: Keep your topic sentences simple and to the point.Their function is not to say anything
clever,just to say where you are in your argument.

Example
Sometimes it is easier to see the problem when something goes wrong. Try this.

Close Me
This is a slightly amended version of an essay sent to me that was marked down for Task
Response/Essay coherence. If you look at just the topic sentences of the two content paras and
the conclusion, you should see the problem. The language is okay, the ideas are okay- the ideas
dont fit together.
Intro
Every school around the world has a number of problems, one of which is these children causing
noise and disorder in classrooms. Consequently, schools see that putting them together in private
class rooms will be far much better for both students and staff
Content 1
There is a little evidence that putting all noisy students in special classrooms is the
answer_________
Content 2
On the other hand, we must acknowledge that some students are intolerable and are mainly
responsible for the noise for the duration of classes._________________
Conclusion
To conclude, I am convinced that students who step out of line have to be taught together, because
many problem children go to school to kill time not to study; therefore, grouping them together is
simply the solution.

Notes
This essay was marked down on Task Response/Coherence. The problem is highlighted in red.
The first/topic sentence in the first content para does not fit the argument of the essay summarised
in the conclusion. It is incoherent to argue that problem students should be taught together and say
there is no proof that this will work.

Paragraph structure is coherence

You also need to focus on making sure your paragraphs make sense. Again,this is where a good
plan really can help. In practical terms, my suggestion here is that before you write each paragraph
you should know how that paragraph finishes. If you write dynamically and simply keep on adding
ideas, then there is every chance the ideas may not work together no matter how good they
1.
2.
3.
4.

are. Here is a quick checklist for you to look at before you write:
Do I know the one main idea of the paragraph?
Do I know the structure of the paragraph?Am I going to list or explain one point
more fully?
Am I clear about what is the main idea,what is a supporting reason and what is
an example?
Do the reasons and examples support the main idea?

Cohesion linking your words


This is the twin of coherence it is linking as well, but this time linking words rather than ideas. You
will probably learn most about the skills of cohesion before the exam. That does not mean that you
should forget it in the exam itself. Here are 2 practical things to think about that may help you write
better:
1.

consider beginning each sentence with a linking idea this need not be a word
like Furthermore,often a pronoun like Thisworks just as well
2.
consider using synonyms and words of the same family to link your writing this
is a very practical idea because it will also help your vocabulary

Grammar and Vocabulary


Oh yes, these matter too! You should of course make sure that you make as few mistakes as
possible. It can though sometimes be a problem if you focus too hard on these as you write
-particularly at lower levels if you worry about these too much either the essay doesnt get finished
or it isnt coherent . Here are a few thoughts for you that may be practical in the exam:

know how you will finish a sentence before you start it a lot of mistakes are
caused by starting- stopping starting again. The first bit is ok. So is the second bit.
They just dont work together.
good vocab tends to be precise vocab precise vocab tends to come from
examples
some of the best grammar you can use comes from qualifying your
ideas (modals, relatives and if clauses)- so if you want to use better grammar think
about not having too many general statements, but using one statement that you
explain in different ways
You might note that there is a strong connection between these ideas and coherence, which is part
of the reason why I started this lesson talking about it. If you want to focus on just one thing as
you write your content paras, for many people coherence may be the best answer

The conclusion a summary of the essay and


an answer to the question
In many ways, the conclusion is the easiest part of the essay to write. This is because it simply
summarises the rest of the essay you dont need to create any new ideas/words to write it. This
lesson suggests a strategy for writing exam essay conclusions. It is to read the essay before you
write the conclusion. If that seems too time-consuming, let me briefly explain why I think its a
good idea.
1.
its easier to write the conclusion quickly you only need to restate what you
have just read- it gives you both words and ideas
2.
if your conclusion doesnt match the rest of your essay, you will lose on both
Task Response and Coherence. It can be easy to change your ideas as you write an
essay with the result that your conclusion says something different than the rest of the
essay

Two questions to ask before you write a conclusion


Below I suggest things to look for in your essay, before you write the conclusion. The ideas are
simple and the process wont take long at all. If that seems too much, try simply asking yourself
these two questions:
1.
2.

What is my answer? (for that you need to look at the question!)


Why do I say that? (for that you could look at your topic sentences)
Unless you focus on these two points, your essay conclusion could become incoherent.

The question and the conclusion


There is always a direct question to answer. You may outline your position in the introduction, but
the conclusion is where you answer it directly. It can be easy to forget hopw the question was
asked and simply write a general conclusion that does not say what your answer is. So if the
question asks you To what extent do you agree,your conclusion must say how much you agree,
not simply that you agree.
Tip: Reread the question to see what type of answer you should give: look at the task words
carefully

Exercise
Read this essay question. Ask yourself what language you need to include in the conclusion to
answer it

See the question

The introduction and the conclusion


The introduction and the conclusion in many ways match each other. The introduction identifies the
question and looks forward to what the essay will include by outlining your position. The conclusion
does the same sort of thing: it answers the question and explains the main points in the essay. One
big difference is that your conclusion must explicitly answer the question.
introduction: identify question + outline position/what essay will include
conclusion: answer question + explain the main points why
Tip: Read the introduction first: make sure your answer in the conclusion matches the
introduction dont give a different answer in the conclusion

Exercise
Read the essay introduction and ask yourself what is the position of the essay. Your conclusion
must balance this.

Read the introduction

The content paragraphs and the conclusion


The content paragraphs should also balance your conclusion. The content paragraphs explain your
main ideas and explain them in some detail with reasons and examples. The conclusion outlines
your main ideas and explains how they fit the argument of your essay.
Content paragraphs: state main ideas + support with reasons and examples
Conclusion: summarise main ideas
Tip: Reread the topic sentences of your paragraphs they should contain the main ideas of
your essay

Exercise
Read the content paras of this essay to find the main points. To make it easy for you, I have
highlighted the topic sentences

See the content paragraphs

Exercise read the essay, write the conclusion


This is an exercise that you can do with one of your own essays of course. Read the essay again
and the rewrite the conclusion.
Disruptive school students have a negative influence on others. Students who are noisy and
disobedient should be grouped together and taught separately.
Do you agree or disagree?
A serious problem is caused in many schools by children who not only do not pay attention to their
teacher but also disrupt their classmates. One proposed solution is to place these children in
separate classes to minimise disruption. While there is something to be said for this, I do not
believe that it is practical.

It is almost certainly true that separating out problem students will result in quieter and more
orderly classrooms. This should benefit the majority of children and enable them to learn more
effectively. They would no longer be distracted by classmates who either talk all the time or ignore
the teacher. Teachers would also be able to concentrate on instructing their students and not have
to waste time on disciplinary matters, which should mean that most children learned betetr.
There may, however, be practical problems in implementing this policy. One difficulty would be that
the children placed in special classes may behave even worse than before when they are put
together. It also seems likely that there is less chance of their behaviour improving when they do
not have the positive influence of well-behaved classmates. As a result, this special class could
become so unmanageable that it caused even more problems for the school administration than it
solved.

Close Me
In summary, my belief is that while providing special classes for disruptive children is likely to
benefit the education of the majority of students,it could also lead to more difficulties for school
administrations. For this reason, I suggest that this policy should only be implemented in extreme
circumstances.

Notes
The questions asks Do you agree or disagree? In my intro I outline that there are good and bad
sides to this policy. In my conclusion I answer the question by saying it should happen only
sometimes.
My first content para says that there are some good parts and my second says there are some bad

Reviewing your essay part of the process of


writing
Writing an exam essay is different from writing an academic essay or even one for homework you
are under time pressure and you have only one chance to get it right In practice, what this means
is that very often exam essays do not get reviewed. This, I believe is a mistake and in this lesson I
suggest a practical way to review your essays in exams. It is based on 4 ideas:

any time spent checking should be focussed -dont look for mistakes, look for
particular mistakes
dont leave it to the end when it may be too late to help you
reviewing what you have written can help you write better
checking in stages allows you to keep a clear head
I explain these ideas briefly, then suggest a model review plan that you can adapt to your needs.
The key idea is that reviewing your essay is part of the process of writing it, not something
best left to the end. In the exam,the last thing you do is write your conclusion you will already
have reviewed essay before then.

Idea one focus on particular problems


This idea is simple. Everyone has mistakes that they make: so to use your time efficiently,look for
problems/mistakes that you know you make. To do this,you need to review your writing before you
get to the exam and have a mental checklist in your head of the type of mistakes you make and
how to solve them.
A second idea here is only to check for one type of problem at a time: first spelling, then articles
etc. This will certainly make you check more efficiently,but this may be too time-consuming under
exam circumstances.

Idea two check as you write and not just at the end
A further suggestion is that you go back and check each part of the essay after you have written it.
Too time-consuming? Perhaps. Though with a little practice, it can work for you. Consider these
thoughts:

time is of the essence in the exam you want to use your 40 minutes efficiently
if you spend time reviewing your writing and find no or only few mistakes, that
is inefficient
it is much easier to check a paragraph than a whole essay there is less to
read! You are much more likely to find grammar/vocabulary problems you might
otherwise miss this way

Idea three make reviewing part of the process of writing essays


checking for Task Response and Coherence too
I highlight this idea in red as it is in many ways what this series of lessons is about. Your IELTS
essay is made up of different parts that require different writing skills. Before you write each part of
the essay, you should focus on what you aim to in it. Here the idea is that after you write each part

of the essay, you go back and re-read it and then


you may find problems with coherence/task response that you can fix there and
then, but you cant fix at the end too late!
you will get words and ideas for the next part of the essay making your essay
flow better and become both more coherent and cohesive

Idea 4 keeping your head clear and relieving stress


This idea is a little different. 40 minutes is quite a long time to concentrate full on. Different people
work differently, but one suggestion is to take mini-breaks in the test when you clear your head. For
example, if you spend 15 seconds sitting up straight, stretching or rolling your neck, then you may
concentrate better when you start writing again. Sometimes 9+9+9+9 is more than 40!
If cant force yourself to take mini-breaks, then why not spend that time checking what you have
written? It is still a break from writing, but this way you are spending the time doing something
useful.

A suggested review plan


There is nothing necessary about this plan. Every learner is different and it needs to be adapted to
your needs. Experiment with it to see how it may work for you and how much time in practice you
spend on it. I have deliberately included too much and repeated some ideas in different stages to
give you a choice as to what to do and when to do it.
In each phase you will check for grammar/vocab issues of course.

Step 1. Read and understand the question


Generally, you want to check that you understand the question before you write the intro.

review ideas:
Can I rephrase the question in my own words?
How many parts of the question are there?
What is the task?

Step 2. Introduction
Generally, you want to check that your intro matches the question and leads into the essay you
want to write.

review ideas
Have I identified all parts of the question?
Have I identified the task?
Is my position clear?
Have I repeated too much vocab from the question?

Step 3. Content paras


Generally, you want to make sure that each para is clearly about one main idea, those ideas link
back to the intro and fit your essay structure. Reviewing these paras often means looking back at
your intro which is a map to your essay. Something I often do with my own essays is to make sure
that my language is consistent throughout the essay. You may want to change the words in your
intro a little at this stage to match the language of your main paras.

review ideas:
Is the main idea obvious from the first sentence? (This is a common problem
and if you have a problem, a quick fix is not to rewrite the whole para but add
one sentence at the end to summarise the main idea)
Does the first sentence refer back to the introduction?
If the content paras make different points is this clear from the introduction?
If they make the same point in different ways, is this clear in the intro?
Do I repeat one word too much?

Step 4. The conclusion


Generally, this is the step you are most likely to miss out. You may well be out of time by this stage.
My best suggestion is that you review the whole essay before you write the conclusion.

review ideas;
Do I refer to ideas in both/all 3 content paras in my conclusion?
Do I use some of the same language in my conclusion as in the content paras to
help cohesion and coherence?
Do I explicitly answer the question as it is asked?
Does my conclusion mirror what I say in the intro?

Footnote sometimes the quick way to edit is simply to delete


You dont have much time to spare in an exam. A practical suggestion for when you are stuck on
how to edit something is to either rub it out or delete it neatly. You need to make sure that your
essay is still complete and what is left makes sense.

http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-essays/reviewing-your-essaypart-of-the-process-of-writing/

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